Thesis, PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes vita. Title from PDF of title page. Document formatted into pages; contains 114 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis was funded by the Department of Human Services (South Australia) to test the acceptability of nicotine patches to pregnant women and to assess the safety of nicotine patches for pregnant women, at least in terms of overall exposure to nicotine. The study was conducted in the antenatal clinics at the Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide and was a pilot for a planned larger study. If the pilot indicated that the nicotine patches could be used safely by this group of women, the larger study would examine the effectivemess of patches in a smoking cessation program. Four focus groups, three with pregnant women and one with their care providers, were used to elucidate issues for pregnant women related to smoking and the use of nicotine patches to aid cessation. / Thesis (MAppSc(Pharm))--University of South Australia, 2000

M.A. / The aim of this study was to investigate the psychological barriers to the cessation of smoking behaviour as experienced by addictive smokers in a South African context, and also to assess the relative importance of these barriers. These barriers were viewed as arising from perceptions of the costs and benefits or pros and cons of smoking and smoking cessation. This cognitive appraisal process was understood as being a series of schema for comprehending both the cognitive and motivational aspects of human planning for future action. The transtheoretical or stages of change model was used as a theoretical framework upon which the research was constructed. The model holds that two interrelated dimensions are necessary in order to adequately assess the behaviour modification of smoking and other such health compromising behaviours: stages of change and processes of change. Stages of change refer to the temporal, motivational, and constancy aspects of change while processes of change focus on activities and events that facilitate successful modification of a problem behaviour such as smoking, and represent coping activities used to modify smoking behaviour. The study hypothesized firstly that precontemplative smokers would demonstrate the highest ratings on the risks of smoking cessation and the lowest ratings on the benefits, while smokers in the contemplation stage would demonstrate a greater balance of risks and benefits of smoking cessation and smokers in the preparation stage would demonstrate highest ratings on the benefits of smoking cessation and the lowest ratings on the risks. In this way the study assessed the validity of various stages of change research in a South African context regarding the weighing up of the pros and cons of smoking behaviour and the expected linear shift in perceptions as the action stage is approached. However, for the purposes of the research conducted, the contemplation and preparation stages were combined to form what was referred to as the planning stage. Secondly, the study hypothesized that at each of the various stages, certain perceptions of the risks and benefits of smoking cessation would emerge as being of greater significance than others. A positivist approach to theory and investigation was utilized for the purposes of conducting the research. In accordance with this approach, quantitative self report data was collected. The Perceived Risks and Benefits Questionnaire was used as a means of assessing the perceived risks and benefits associated with smoking cessation. The results of this study demonstrated that stages of change did indeed have an effect on the way in which the risks and benefits of smoking cessation were perceived. In this regard, the variations between the various stages were in accordance with the findings of prior stages of change research. Certain risks and benefits also emerged as being of greater significance than others for smokers in the various stages. Results also underlined the importance taking a smokers stage of change of change into account when considering smoking cessation programmes. Processes of change as identified within the transtheoretical model emerged here as having a potentially important role to play, but more research investigating the matching of stages and processes of change in a South African context is required. In addition, it is also recommended that future research in this area be conducted within a variety of demographic and socio-economic contexts in South Africa. Research that is longitudinal in nature is also viewed as being potentially beneficial, as is research of a qualitative nature. Such investigations are viewed as important because they would continue to enrich our understanding of the journey towards smoking cessation as experienced by South African smokers. / Dr. Hilton Rudnick

Thesis (M. Nurs.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Title from title frame. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 107-117).

RESUMO Introdução. O tabaco é, mundialmente, uma relevante causa prevenível de morte. O hábito de fumar, na maioria das vezes, estabelece-se na adolescência. Considerando-se a prevalência de tabagismo e o potencial de seu crescimento, entre os jovens brasileiros, justifica-se o presente estudo que visa a embasar programas abrangentes de controle do tabagismo. Objetivo. Identificar fatores associados ao tabagismo em estudantes de 13 a 15 anos de idade, nas capitais dos três estados da Região Sul do Brasil. Métodos. Foram utilizados dados secundários provenientes do Inquérito de Tabagismo em Escolares, relativos a Curitiba, Florianópolis e Porto Alegre, em 2002 e 2004. A população compreendeu adolescentes de 13 a 15 anos, cursando as 7a. e 8a. séries, do ensino fundamental, e primeira, do ensino médio, de escolas públicas e privadas. Coletou-se a informação por meio de um questionário auto-aplicável e anônimo. Consideraram-se tabagistas os que informaram ter fumado em um ou mais dias, nos últimos trinta dias. Para análise, foram estimados proporções ponderadas e os respectivos intervalos com 95% de confiança e aplicadas técnicas de regressão logística múltipla por meio do programa computacional SPSS?, para detectar os principais fatores associados ao vício de fumar. O nível de significância adotado foi de 10% (? <= 0,10). Resultados. A prevalência de fumantes entre esses escolares variou de 10,7% em Florianópolis a 17,7% em Porto Alegre e foi sempre mais elevada, entre as meninas. Observou-se, nas três capitais, que as proporções entre estudantes fumantes foram maiores na presença de pai fumante, mãe fumante ou ambos fumantes, amigo fumante, exposição à fumaça ambiental em casa e fora de casa, de possuidores de objetos com o logotipo de marca de cigarros e que receberam mais freqüentemente oferta gratuita de cigarros, comparativamente às dos não fumantes. Conclusões. Entre escolares residentes nas capitais do Sul do Brasil, a prevalência de tabagismo é elevada, e os fatores comuns associados ao tabagismo, estatisticamente significantes, foram possuir indivíduos fumantes como melhores amigos e estar exposto à fumaça ambiental, fora de casa. / ABSTRACT Introduction. Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death worldwide and adolescents are at a great risk to initiate the smoking habit. The prevalence of tobacco use and its potential growth among Brazilian school youth justify this work, which intends to subside a comprehensive tobacco control program. Objective. To identify relevant factors associated with the tobacco use among students aged 13 to 15 years, in the capital cities of the three States of the Brazilian South Region. Methods. Sample data was obtained in the Global Youth Tobacco Survey, related to Curitiba, PR, Florianópolis, SC, and Porto Alegre, RS, in 2002 and 2004. Adolescents 13 to 15 years, attending the 7th, the 8th grades and the 1st grade of highschool of private and public schools, have composed the study population. Data was collected through an anonymous and self-administered questionnaire. Those who smoked at least one day within the last 30 days were considered smokers. For the statistical analysis of the results, weighted proportions and their respective confidence intervals of 95%, as well as multinomial logistic regression model were applied through the SPSS?, a computer statistical program. The level of significance adopted was 10% (? <= 0.10). The smoking prevalence among the students varied from 10.7% in Florianópolis, SC, to 17.7% in Porto Alegre, RS, and was higher among girls. In the three capitals, the proportion of smokers was higher among those whose mother, father, both parents or best friends had the smoking habit; also, the occurrence of smokers was higher among students exposed to tobacco smoke environment (at home or outside); the same situation was detected among the students who owned objects with a cigarette brand logo, or if more often were offered free cigarettes. Conclusions. Among school youths living in the three capitals of the states of the South of Brazil, it was estimated high prevalence of smokers and the factors statistically associated with the tobacco use were presence of best peer friends addicted to the smoking habit and environmental exposition to the smoke outside home.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Queensland, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Community Medicine, 1988. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 215-236).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-102).