Abstract

The deleterious impact of tobacco use on health has been well-known for years. Nevertheless, cigarette smoking is a behavior which generally is not easily abandoned due to its addictive propensities. Thus, it is important for nurses to be competent in the delivery of evidence-based smoking cessation interventions which can help their clients achieve tobacco-free status. This need is particularly urgent in nations with high smoking prevalence rates, including many developing nations. The purpose of this study was two-fold. First, an investigation was undertaken to determine the smoking habits and influences among Eastern European nations, the former Soviet Union, and Mongolia. These nations shared the post-Soviet era experience of adjusting to economic and political changes while at the same time negotiating the advances of the transnational tobacco companies. Next, a smoking cessation intervention pilot study utilizing nursing students as the interventionists was conducted in Mongolia. This study utilized a single group pre-and post-test design to evaluate changes in smoking cessation autonomous self-regulation (SCASR) and smoking frequency and intensity after a motivational coaching intervention. Post-counseling scores of SCASR and smoking frequency and intensity decreased, but none of these changes reached the level of significance. A high participant attrition rate created a smaller than desired sample for statistical analysis. Strengths and weaknesses of the intervention design were evaluated along with challenges of conducting health-related research in developing countries. Smoking cessation research studies are essential as nurses seek to learn and implement effective tobacco dependence treatment, particularly in vulnerable countries with limited resources.

Date of publication

Spring 5-6-2013

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

english

Persistent identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/10950/109

Included in

Nursing Commons

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