title: College students' perspective on smoking cessation: "If the message doesn't speak to me, I don't hear it".
abstract: The purpose of this study was to document the smoking cessation experiences of three groups of 18-24-year-old college students and explore their ideas for cessation. Focus group interviews were conducted with former smokers (n = 7), smokers struggling to quit (n = 7), and smokers with no desire to quit (n = 5). Participants indicated a need for smoking cessation programs that would help the students understand the immediate physiological impact of smoking, addictive nature of nicotine, and benefits of using nicotine replacement therapy. They believed emotional and cognitive strategies for coping with cravings and environmental cues to smoking should be included in smoking cessation programs. Students indicated that cost and convenience were important considerations for smoking cessation programs. They stated that the media messages were for teens and older adults and did not relate to them as college students or young adults.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
authors.forename: Ruth R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Staten
authors.forename: S Lee
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ridner
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D009042:Motivation; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010379:Peer Group; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D015144:Southeastern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities