Perceived consequences among pregnant and non-pregnant women of continuing or ceasing to smoke

Self-Efficacy and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Heart Failure Patients in Singapore: A Descriptive Correlational Study

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) accounts for 30% of all global deaths and Asians are likely to suffer from HF 10 years earlier than their Western counterparts. Low self-efficacy and poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL) have been reported in patients with HF. Methodology: A descriptive correlational design was adopted to investigate the associations between self-efficacy and HRQoL in 91 patients with HF in Singapore. Results: Patients with HF demonstrated moderately good self-efficacy ( M = 3.05, SD = 0.61) and HRQoL ( M = 22.48, SD = 18.99). Significant differences were found between total self-efficacy scores and education levels ( p = .05), and between overall HRQoL and smoking status ( p < .05). Self-efficacy was not significantly correlated to HRQoL. Smoking status, HF classification, and self-efficacy in maintaining function predicted HRQoL. Discussion: Health care professionals should assess each patient’s demographics, smoking status, and clinical condition before delivering individualized education to enhance their self-efficacy and, in turn, overall HRQoL.

The experiences of women who quit smoking during pregnancy and how they dealt with their spouses' continued smoking

OBJECTIVE

to explore how pregnant women in Taiwan dealt with their spouses who continued to smoke and with passive smoking during their own process of quitting and abstaining.

DESIGN

a qualitative study using an oral history approach. Data were collected via tape-recorded open-ended interviews. All interviews were transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed using narrative analysis.

SETTING

the homes of the participant women living in the district of a regional hospital of eastern Taiwan.

PARTICIPANTS

a purposive sample of 10 Taiwanese women who had quit smoking while pregnant was recruited at 1-3 months following the birth of their infants.

FINDINGS

five major themes emerged: (1) the women coping with tobacco addiction on their own, (2) creating a non-smoking section or environment at home, (3) dealing with passive smoking, (4) conflict over the wife's sensitivity to her spouse's residual tobacco smell, and (5) allowing the husband to continue smoking to avoid conflicts.

KEY CONCLUSIONS

the pregnant women were expected by their spouses to quit smoking, yet the husbands continued to smoke. Women had to struggle to quit smoking on their own. The findings from this study support the need to listen to pregnant women's stories, as this is paramount to understanding their experiences of tobacco-use reduction and cessation, and for developing gender appropriate interventions to support their efforts.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

health care providers should encourage and help pregnant women who are willing to quit smoking. This help could be more family-centred instead of focusing on the pregnant women alone, and therefore involve educating the spouse to support his wife.