Tobacco use among urban Aboriginal Australian young people: a qualitative study of reasons for smoking, barriers to cessation and motivators for smoking cessation
Suzanne Cosh A B C , Kimberley Hawkins A H , Gemma Skaczkowski D E , David Copley A F and Jacqueline Bowden GA Cancer Council SA, 202 Greenhill Road, Eastwood, SA 5063, Australia.
B The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
C Department of Psychiatry II, Ulm University, Helmholtzstraße 18, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
D Cancer Council Victoria, 615 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia.
E School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, 1–100 Grattan Street, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia.
F QuitSA, Cancer Council SA, 202 Greenhill Road, Eastwood, SA 5063, Australia.
G South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
H Corresponding author. Email: khawkins@cancersa.org.au
Australian Journal of Primary Health 21(3) 334-341 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY13157
Submitted: 22 November 2013 Accepted: 3 June 2014 Published: 1 July 2014
Abstract
Smoking prevalence among Aboriginal Australian young people greatly exceeds the prevalence in the broader population of Australian young people, yet limited research has explored the social context in which young Aboriginal Australians smoke. Four focus groups were conducted in 2009 with South Australian Aboriginal smokers aged 15–29 years residing in urban areas (n = 32) to examine attitudes and experiences surrounding smoking and quitting. The primary reasons for smoking initiation and maintenance among Aboriginal Australian young people were identified as stress, social influence and boredom. Motivators for quitting were identified as pregnancy and/or children, sporting performance (males only), cost issues and, to a lesser extent, health reasons. The barriers to cessation were identified as social influence, the perception of quitting as a distant event and reluctance to access cessation support. However, it appears that social influences and stress were particularly salient contributors to smoking maintenance among Aboriginal Australian young people. Smoking cessation interventions targeted at young urban Aboriginal Australian smokers should aim to build motivation to quit by utilising the motivators of pregnancy and/or children, sporting performance (males only), cost issues and, to a lesser extent, health reasons, while acknowledging the pertinent role of social influence and stress in the lives of young urban Aboriginal Australian smokers.
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