Using social marketing to increase recruitment of pregnant smokers to smoking cessation service: a success story

Abstract

Objectives: To explore what it is like to be a pregnant smoker in Sunderland and to inform the development of a Smoking Cessation Programme; to use qualitative techniques to develop a cessation programme tailored to pregnant smokers.

Study design: The intervention follows years of social marketing research and development in Sunderland, Wearside, UK.

Methods: Information derived from nine focus groups (mainly with women from deprived areas, social class C2D and E) provided insights into the issues facing smoking pregnant women. This information was then used to overcome barriers to smoking cessation using the principles of social marketing. The number of women recruited into a specially designed smoking cessation support initiative was compared with women recruited into comparable groups in the North East.

Results: Recruitment of pregnant (and non-pregnant) smokers to the new NHS smoking cessation programme in Sunderland has increased during the intervention phase compared with neighbouring Primary Care Trust areas (in which different smoking cessation interventions targeted at pregnant women were being undertaken).

Conclusions: This innovative intervention has been successful in generating ideas, guiding development of a customer-friendly service and encouraging women to come forward for smoking cessation support during their pregnancy. The target population have welcomed the approach, and health professionals have enjoyed and benefited from the role play with professional actors.