Why do so few pregnant smokers seek help from the Stop Smoking Services?
Felix Naughton, PhD Student, University of Cambridge, UK

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Abstract
This paper focuses on pregnant smokers’ experiences of the way smoking is handled in antenatal care and their feelings towards seeking support from the stop smoking services. Women with experience of prenatal smoking (n=20) were recruited through antenatal services. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. Data collection and analysis were guided by grounded theory. 
By positively reinforcing ‘cutting down’ and rarely revisiting the topic of smoking, many antenatal healthcare professionals seemed to fuel participants’ ambivalence towards quitting. A further hindrance to cessation was that many participants were reluctant to ask for or seek smoking cessation support while pregnant. This seemed to stem from a sense of shame at not being able to quit on their own, and an anticipation of judgment from others.

In addition, most of the participants who were aware of the stop smoking services were disinterested in seeking support from them. This appeared to be due to a number of factors centering around their uncertainty of what support was available and their feelings towards the support they perceived to be on offer. The findings from this study have implications for improving the appeal of
the stop smoking services to pregnant smokers.

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About the presenter
Felix Naughton joined the General Practice and Primary Care Research Unit in 2005 to work on his PhD. The PhD focuses on the development and evaluation of a computer-tailored smoking cessation self-help programme for pregnant smokers. This automated programme will provide smokers with an individualised written advice leaflet and mobile phone text messages tailored
to personal characteristics, smoking beliefs and behaviours.

His research interest is in the use of tailoring in behaviour change interventions and the use of new technologies in health care and health promotion. Felix is also currently a Health Psychology Trainee (Stage 2).