scholarly journals Study on E-Cigarettes and Pregnancy (STEP) – Results of a Mixed Methods Study on Risk Perception of E-Cigarette Use During Pregnancy

2021 ◽  
Vol 81 (02) ◽  
pp. 214-223
Author(s):  
Laura Schilling ◽  
Jacob Spallek ◽  
Holger Maul ◽  
Sven Schneider
Keyword(s):  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Risk Perception ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
Cigarette Use ◽  
Perceived Benefits ◽  
Potential Health

Abstract Introduction E-cigarette use during pregnancy is a risk factor for maternal and fetal health. Early studies on animals showed that in utero exposure to e-cigarettes can have negative health outcomes for the fetus. There has been only limited research into the risk perceptions of e-cigarette use during pregnancy. This study was conducted to comprehensively characterize the constructs of risk perceptions with regard to e-cigarette use during pregnancy using an Integrated Health Belief Model (IHBM). Methods Our STudy on E-cigarettes and Pregnancy (STEP) used a mixed methods approach, with the study divided into an initial qualitative part and a quantitative part. A netnographic approach was used for the first part, which consisted of the analysis of 1552 posts from 25 German-language online discussion threads on e-cigarette use during pregnancy. Using these qualitative results, a quantitative questionnaire was developed to explore risk perception constructs about e-cigarette use during pregnancy. This questionnaire was subsequently administered to pregnant women (n = 575) in one hospital in Hamburg, Germany. Descriptive and bivariate analysis was used to examine differences in risk perception according to participantsʼ tobacco and e-cigarette user status before and during pregnancy. While the study design, methods and sample have been extensively described in our recently published study protocol in the January 2020 issue of Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde, this paper is devoted to a presentation of the results of our mixed methods study. Results Themes related to perceived threats identified in the qualitative study part were nicotine-related health risks and potential health risks of additional ingredients. Perceived benefits were possibility and facilitation of smoking cessation and a presumed potential to reduce harm. The subsequent quantitative part showed that nearly all participants (99.3%) perceived e-cigarettes which contained nicotine as constituting a threat to the health of the unborn child. The most commonly perceived barrier was health-related (96.6%), while the most commonly perceived benefit was a reduction in the amount of tobacco cigarettes consumed (31.8%). We found that particularly perceived benefits varied depending on the participantʼs tobacco and e-cigarette user status. Conclusion When considering future prevention strategies, the potential health risks and disputed effectiveness of e-cigarettes as a tool for smoking cessation need to be taken into account and critically discussed.

scholarly journals STudy on E-Cigarettes and Pregnancy (STEP) – Study Protocol of a Mixed Methods Study on Risk Perception of E-Cigarette Use During Pregnancy and Sample Description

2020 ◽  
Vol 80 (01) ◽  
pp. 66-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Schilling ◽  
Sven Schneider ◽  
Holger Maul ◽  
Jacob Spallek
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Risk Perception ◽  
Potential Risk ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Cigarette Use ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Discussion Threads ◽  
Potential Risk Factors

Abstract Introduction During pregnancy, the motherʼs healthy lifestyle is crucial for the health of the fetus. Potential risk factors for maternal and child health should therefore be identified and reduced as early as possible. The consumption of e-cigarettes represents one of these potential risk factors. Exploring risk perceptions about e-cigarette use during pregnancy can provide early indications of possible user motives. Therefore, our mixed methods STudy on E-cigarettes and Pregnancy (STEP) aimed to comprehensively analyze risk perceptions about e-cigarette use during pregnancy based on an Integrated Health Belief Model (IHBM). This paper describes the study design, methods, sample population and limitations of STEP. Methods Our sequential mixed methods study combined qualitative and quantitative approaches. In the qualitative section of the study which preceded the quantitative part of the study, we aimed to characterize risk perceptions about e-cigarette use during pregnancy. We used a netnographic research approach which analyzed discussion threads in online forums dealing with e-cigarette use during pregnancy. The analysis was based on an IHBM. Identified themes were incorporated in the questionnaire which was developed for the quantitative part of the study. The quantitative section aimed to quantify, among other things, perceived threats, barriers and benefits and to explore differences in risk perception according to sociodemographic characteristics and tobacco and e-cigarette usage. Results In the qualitative section, 1552 posts in 25 online discussion threads dealing, inter alia, with e-cigarette use during pregnancy were identified. The quantitative part looked at the responses in the questionnaires handed in by 575 pregnant women who attended a hospital in Hamburg (Germany) from April 2018 to January 2019 (response rate: 27.5%). Conclusion Data collection was successful for both the qualitative and quantitative parts of the study. When interpreting the results of STEP, different limitations should be taken into account. The results of STEP provide starting points for the development of tailored preventive measures for pregnant women.

Sexual Enrichment Aids: A Mixed Methods Study Evaluating Use, Hygiene, and Risk Perception among Women

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Amanda L. Collar ◽  
Jesus E. Fuentes ◽  
Heidi Rishel Brakey ◽  
Kathryn M. Frietze
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Risk Perception ◽  
Mixed Methods Study

scholarly journals Perceived barriers of tobacco dependence treatment: a mixed-methods study among primary healthcare physicians in Armenia

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arusyak Harutyunyan ◽  
Armine Abrahamyan ◽  
Varduhi Hayrumyan ◽  
Varduhi Petrosyan
Keyword(s):  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Primary Healthcare ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Tobacco Dependence ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Perceived Barriers ◽  
Smoking Cessation Counseling ◽  
Tobacco Dependence Treatment ◽  
Smoking Cessation Services

AbstractBackgroundDespite compelling evidence that physicians play a prominent role in smoking cessation, most smokers do not receive the recommended smoking cessation counseling.AimTo identify perceived barriers that hinder primary healthcare physicians (PHPs) from providing smoking cessation treatment to patients in Armenia.MethodsA sequential exploratory mixed-methods study was conducted among PHPs from two Armenian cities (Yerevan and Gyumri). We implemented qualitative phase through focus group discussions (FGDs) using a semi-structured guide. For the subsequent quantitative phase, the data were collected through cross-sectional survey. A directed deductive content analysis technique was used to analyze the FGDs and questionnaires were analyzed descriptively. Following the data collection (March 2015–May 2016) and descriptive analysis, the qualitative and quantitative data sets were merged by drawing quantitative data onto qualitative categories.FindingsOverall, 23 PHPs participated in five FGDs and 108 participants completed the survey. Three main categories of barriers were identified: physician-based, patient-based, and system-based barriers. The main physicians-based barriers were insufficient knowledge and inadequate training on tobacco-dependence treatment. Lack of patients’ motivation to quit, poor compliance with the treatment, patients’ withdrawal symptoms were identified as patient-based disincentives. System-based barriers included lack of reimbursement for providing smoking cessation counseling, high price and low availability of smoking cessation medications. Most of the qualitative descriptions were confirmed by quantitative findings.ConclusionsTargeted interventions are needed to address barriers that limited PHPs’ involvement in providing smoking cessation services in Armenia. There is an urgent need to enhance PHPs’ knowledge and skills in delivering smoking cessation counseling, to increase patients’ demand for smoking cessation services, and to ensure availability and affordability of smoking cessation services in Armenia.

scholarly journals Risk Perception of Health Professionals in Intrapartum Care Decisions: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina H Peterwerth ◽  
Margareta Halek ◽  
Sabrina Tulka ◽  
Rainhild Schäfers
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Risk Perception ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Intrapartum Care ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Qualitative Phase

BACKGROUND Risk perception plays an important role in decision-making processes. Differences in obstetric intervention rates suggest that, in addition to medical indications, the risk perception of obstetric health professionals might have a major influence on their decision-making process during childbirth. Although studies have investigated whether risk perception affects the role of midwifery or influences decision making during childbirth, little is known about what obstetric health professionals actually perceive as risk or risky situations and whether different risk perceptions lead to more interventions during intrapartum care. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to understand the association of risk perception and the decision-making processes of obstetric health professionals (midwives and obstetricians) in Germany during intrapartum care. The study has 3 specific aims: (1) gain insight into what obstetric health professionals perceive as risk in the German clinical setting, (2) assess the extent to which personal and systemic factors have an impact on obstetric health professionals’ risk perception, and (3) investigate whether different perceptions of risk are associated with different decisions being made by obstetric health professionals. METHODS This is an exploratory sequential mixed methods study with 2 phases, a qualitative followed by a quantitative phase. In the first phase, qualitative data are collected and analyzed by conducting focus group discussions and applying qualitative content analysis to address aim 1. In the second phase, for aims 2 and 3 and to help explain the qualitative results, quantitative data are collected and analyzed by conducting an observational study using case vignettes within a survey constructed on the basis of the qualitative results. RESULTS Enrollment in the first (qualitative) phase began in July 2019, and data collection and analysis have been completed. The second (quantitative) phase is currently planned, and data collection is expected to start in December 2020. First results of the qualitative phase are expected to be submitted for publication in 2020, with completion of the second phase scheduled for 2021. CONCLUSIONS This mixed methods study will examine the perception of risk and its association with the decision-making processes of obstetric health professionals during their care of women in childbirth. The rationale for this approach is that the qualitative data and their analysis explore participants' views in more depth, while the quantitative data will help to provide and explore a general understanding of the research problem. The results are expected to be relevant to health care professionals, policymakers, and educational institutions in order to minimize underuse, overuse, and misuse of interventions during intrapartum care. CLINICALTRIAL German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00017172; https://tinyurl.com/y2zoowkx INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/21443

scholarly journals Public spaces and physical activity in adults: insights from a mixed-methods study

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ietza Bojorquez ◽  
Maria de Lourdes Romo-Aguilar ◽  
Lina Ojeda-Revah ◽  
Fernando Tena ◽  
Francisco Lara-Valencia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Health Benefit ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Potential Health

Abstract: Public spaces could promote health equity by providing a place for people to engage in physical activity. Whereas most studies show a positive association between public spaces and physical activity, there are still mixed results, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The objectives of this mixed-methods study were: (i) to assess the quantitative association between access to public spaces and physical activity; (ii) to assess the modification of the association by public spaces quality, area-level walkability, and social stratifiers; (iii) to explain the quantitative results using qualitative data. Quantitative data were obtained with a household survey in two arid-climate Mexican cities in 2017-2018. physical activity was measured with the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Access to public spaces was measured in buffers centered on survey blocks, walkability with area-level indicators, and public spaces quality with the Physical Activity Resources Assessment. Qualitative data were obtained with semi-structured interviews and neighborhood observation. No quantitative association between access to public spaces and physical activity was found, as well as no interactions between access to public spaces and other variables. Walkability was positively associated with physical activity. Qualitative analysis showed that local public spaces were rarely used by adults because they were perceived as small, unequipped, unattractive, and unsafe. The results shed light on the relationship between public spaces and physical activity, highlighting the improvements in design and upkeep of public spaces that are necessary to achieve their potential health benefit.

E-cigarettes in ENT: what do we need to know?

2016 ◽  
Vol 130 (6) ◽  
pp. 512-515 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Stobbs ◽  
A Lillis ◽  
N Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Regulatory Body ◽  
Cigarette Use ◽  
Cigarette Smokers ◽  
The Uk

AbstractBackground:E-cigarette use in the UK is increasing and we are commonly encountering patients in the ENT clinic who are e-cigarette smokers. Currently, there is no regulatory body or licensing for e-cigarettes. This means that the contents, and therefore potential carcinogenic and toxic risks, can vary greatly from product to product. Patients are starting to ask about the risks of e-cigarettes and their use in smoking cessation.Objectives:This review aimed to examine the regulations, trends, and carcinogenic and health risks of e-cigarettes, and summarise the evidence for their use in smoking cessation. It also aimed to provide a general awareness regarding the advice and information that can be safely given to patients.

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