A Systematic Review of Peer-Support Programs for Smoking Cessation in Disadvantaged Groups

Pauline Ford, Anton Clifford, Kim Gussy and Coral Gartner
Additional contact information
Pauline Ford: School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland, 200 Turbot St., Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
Anton Clifford: The Institute for Urban Indigenous Health, 23 Edgar Street, Bowen Hills, QLD 4006, Australia
Kim Gussy: The Institute for Urban Indigenous Health, 23 Edgar Street, Bowen Hills, QLD 4006, Australia
Coral Gartner: University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Building 71/918 RBWH Site, Herston, QLD 4029, Australia

IJERPH, 2013, vol. 10, issue 11, 1-16

Abstract: The burden of smoking is borne most by those who are socially disadvantaged and the social gradient in smoking contributes substantially to the health gap between the rich and poor. A number of factors contribute to higher tobacco use among socially disadvantaged populations including social (e.g., low social support for quitting), psychological (e.g., low self-efficacy) and physical factors (e.g., greater nicotine dependence). Current evidence for the effectiveness of peer or partner support interventions in enhancing the success of quit attempts in the general population is equivocal, largely due to study design and lack of a theoretical framework in this research. We conducted a systematic review of peer support interventions for smoking cessation in disadvantaged groups. The eight studies which met the inclusion criteria showed that interventions that improve social support for smoking cessation may be of greater importance to disadvantaged groups who experience fewer opportunities to access such support informally. Peer-support programs are emerging as highly effective and empowering ways for people to manage health issues in a socially supportive context. We discuss the potential for peer-support programs to address the high prevalence of smoking in vulnerable populations and also to build capacity in their communities.

Keywords: peer-support; smoking; cessation; disadvantaged populations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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