CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
Social and community organization professionals' perceptions on providing smoking cessation support to people from lower socioeconomic groups: a qualitative study
 
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1
Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
 
2
Tranzo Scientific Center for Care and Wellbeing, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands
 
 
Publication date: 2023-04-25
 
 
Corresponding author
Judith Visser   

Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Van der Boechorststraat 7, Amsterdam, TheNetherlands
 
 
Tob. Prev. Cessation 2023;9(Supplement):A59
 
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Social and community service organizations (SCSOs) may be potential settings to support people from lower socioeconomic groups to quit smoking. However, support is not yet widely provided. The study aims to 1) identify potential activities of SCSO professionals in providing smoking cessation support and to 2) identify barriers and facilitators in providing these activities.

Material and Methods:
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 professionals from 9 SCSOs in Amsterdam North. Participants were employed as welfare worker, participation worker, coordinator welfare work, budget coach, and debt counselor. Data were analyzed using a thematic approach.

Results:
A total of eight activities with the potential to strengthen smoking cessation support in SCSOs were identified, i.e., identifying smokers, discussing smoking and quitting smoking, counseling clients to quit smoking, referral to smoking cessations services, facilitating clients and facilitating smoking cessation services, engaging local residents and experts by experience to support smoking cessation, and implementing a smoke-free environment. Primary facilitators are knowledge of techniques to discuss smoking and quitting, clients' requests for help to quit smoking and knowledge of smoking cessation services. Primary barriers are the multi-problems of clients, as a result of which smoking cessation is not a priority, lack of knowledge of smoking cessation services and lack of attention from SCSOs and local government to smoking cessation.

Conclusions:
The results show the potential of SCSO professionals in providing smoking cessation support. To exploit the potential, stakeholders at multiple levels should prioritize smoking cessation and invest in interventions targeting professionals' knowledge and skills on smoking cessation and smoking cessation services.

eISSN:2459-3087
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