Development and evaluation of a novel intervention providing insight into the tobacco industry to prevent the uptake of smoking in school-aged children
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Author(s)
Dr Lisa Szatkowski, Dr John Taylor and Dr Manpreet Bains
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Dr Manpreet Bains Lecturer in Qualitative and Mixed Methods Health Research, UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies and University of Nottingham, |
Abstract Evidence suggests that interventions focussing on the tactics of the tobacco industry may be effective in preventing smoking uptake by children. We report an evaluation of the first UK intervention of this kind, Operation Smoke Storm, in which students act as secret agents to uncover tobacco industry tactics. We conducted eight focus groups and 18 interviews with Year 7 students (aged 11-12) and teachers who had participated in and delivered Operation Smoke Storm at two schools in the East Midlands. These were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using the Framework method. Students enjoyed the ‘secret agent’ scenario and acquired new knowledge, which appeared to strengthen their aversion to smoking.
Most teachers felt confident about delivering the resource, but wanted more background information and guidance on steering discussions. They also stressed the need for flexibility in the resource to allow for variations in lesson length and teacher confidence and expertise. Students and teachers endorsed the idea of developing a ‘booster’ component for Year 8 pupils and printed information to encourage parents to support their child to not experiment with tobacco. The ideas and issues raised will be used to improve and extend Operation Smoke Storm for future use and further evaluation.
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Presenter biography Dr Manpreet Bains is a Lecturer in Qualitative and Mixed Methods Health Research in the Division of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Nottingham. Manpreet has expertise in using qualitative methodology as part of larger mixed-methods projects, in the field of tobacco control. She is overseeing the qualitative evaluation of this multi-component intervention aiming to prevent uptake of smoking in adolescents.
She has previously provided qualitative support to a programme grant funded by the National Institute for Health Research developing innovative ways of helping people stop smoking in hospitals, the community and in the home.
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Source of funding: National Institute for Health Research
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Declaration of interest: None
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