SFHN Research Studies
Members of the SFHN are involved in a variety of research projects on second-hand smoke and related issues.
MyFamily MySmoke
Male smoking is high in Malaysia with nearly 50% of men (but less than 2%of women) smoking. We are carrying out work to better understand and involve men in creating smoke-free homes, use air quality feedback as a tool to generate case studies for a media and social media awareness raising campaign, and create a Malaysian Smoke-Free Homes Network to help deliver this.
Protecting those who care for us
This project is exploring home health care workers’ exposure to second-hand smoke. As one of the last groups of workers not protected from second-hand smoke exposure in the work environment, this group may experience significant exposure in clients’ homes. In this study, we will investigate the number of workers affected by this issue, the extent to which they are exposed to second-hand smoke and the policies currently in place to protect them. This project is funded by the Colt Foundation.
Publications
- Angus K, Semple S. Home Health and Community Care Workers’ Occupational Exposure to Secondhand Smoke: A Rapid Literature Review. Nicotine Tob Res 2019;21:1673–9. doi:10.1093/ntr/nty226
This publication was not funded by this grant
Fathers who smoke & smoke-free homes
This Cancer Research UK-funded qualitative study is being led by the University of Stirling, in conjunction with the Universities of Edinburgh and British Columbia. It explores fathers’ views and experiences of creating and maintaining a smoke-free home. Findings from this study (which ends in February 2020) will be used to inform the development of a household-level, rather than mother-led, smoke-free homes intervention.
Publications
- O’Donnell R, Angus K, McCulloch P, et al. Fathers’ Views and Experiences of Creating a Smoke-Free Home: A Scoping Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019;16:5164. doi:10.3390/ijerph16245164
Using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) as a harm reduction approach to reducing smoking in the home
Researchers at the University of Stirling and Edinburgh have been exploring parents and carers’ experiences of using Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) as a means of reducing smoking in the home. Full results of the study are forthcoming. This work has been funded by NHS Lothian and the Scottish Government.
TackSHS WP4: Measuring for Change
As part of a major EU-funded research collaboration, researchers at the University of Stirling conducted a multi-centre trial of an innovative air quality feedback intervention using internet-connected monitors to deliver up-to-date information on air quality in homes to participants. Full results of this study are forthcoming.
First Steps 2 Smoke Free
A partnership between the University of Aberdeen and NHS Lanarkshire, First Steps 2 Smoke Free involved a large-scale randomised controlled trial of the air quality intervention developed during the REFRESH project.
Publications
- Semple S, Turner S, O’Donnell R, et al. Using air-quality feedback to encourage disadvantaged parents to create a smoke-free home: Results from a randomised controlled trial. Environ Int 2018;120:104–10. doi:10.1016/J.ENVINT.2018.07.039
AFRESH
AFRESH was a project at the University of Aberdeen to develop new techniques and strategies for developing effective air quality feedback interventions, by engaging with healthcare professionals and clients to develop a behavioural model for the intervention and to develop new ways to deliver air quality information to clients. The project also focused on making the intervention simpler for healthcare professionals, by developing new software and documentation.
Publications
- Dobson R, O’Donnell R, de Bruin M, et al. Using air quality monitoring to reduce second-hand smoke exposure in homes: the AFRESH feasibility study. Tob Prev Cessat 2017;3. doi:10.18332/tpc/74645
- O’Donnell R, Dobson R, de Bruin M, et al. Development Of A Smoke-free Homes Intervention For Parents: An Intervention Mapping Approach. Heal Psychol Bull. doi:10.5334/HPB.20
REFRESH
Reducing Families’ Exposure to Second-hand Smoke in the Home (REFRESH) was a partnership project between the University of Aberdeen, the University of Edinburgh and ASH Scotland. Between 2010 and 2014 the study engaged with healthcare professionals, policymakers and members of the public to find and encourage best practice on second-hand smoke.
One key strand of the work involved a pilot study on the use of air quality monitoring to provide feedback to parents who smoke, in order to give them a better understanding of the effects of smoking in the home on the air and on their children.
Publications
- Ritchie DD, Amos A, Shaw A, et al. How do policy advisors and practitioners prioritise the protection of children from secondhand smoke exposure in a country with advanced tobacco control policy? Tob Control 2015;24:70–6. doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2012-050936
- Wilson I, Semple S, Mills LM, et al. REFRESH–reducing families’ exposure to secondhand smoke in the home: a feasibility study. Tob Control 2013;22:e8. doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2011-050212
- Wilson IS, Ritchie D, Amos A, et al. ‘I’m not doing this for me’: mothers’ accounts of creating smoke-free homes. Health Educ Res 2013;28:165–78. doi:10.1093/her/cys082
- Shaw, A, Ritchie, D, O’Donnell, R, Amos, A, Lynsey, M, Semple, Sean, Turner, S & Wilson, I 2013, ‘Creating smoke-free homes for children‘, Nursing Times, vol. 109, no. 10, pp. 28-30.
If you have a project you’d like to have listed here, contact us.