A group-based smoking cessation program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women

This study will test the feasibility, and acceptability of a Group-based smoking cessation. The group-based program will be provided over six sessions. The first three sessions will focus on the harm of smoking, mechanisms of addiction, and benefits of smoking cessation. Participants will have the option of choosing either an online or a face-to-face group-based intervention provided at participating Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (Waminda Aboriginal Health Service and Birra Li Aboriginal Health Service). Program staff A group smoking cessation facilitation manual and resources have been co-developed with Aboriginal Health Workers and practitioners (AHW/P) and two partnering Aboriginal maternal health services. All relevant AHW/Ps and maternal health staff will be trained in both the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) accredited smoking cessation training and a further 3 hours of training according to the group smoking cessation manual and resources by a tobacco treatment specialist, Worimi woman Joley Foster prior to group facilitation. This will involve counselling protocol, quality control procedures, NRT adverse events, and role playing of project procedures. The counsellors will meet as required, with direct contact with the tobacco treatment specialist for any additional supports required, and fortnightly throughout the project for quality control, supervision, and case review. The tobacco treatment specialist will note any issues with project implementation, additional supports or resources needed for project implementation to assist in the feasibility data collection. Number of groups: 10-20 participants will be included in each group session (with 1 facilitator per group) with the total number of groups to be determined based on the total number of recruited participants, as well as individual community needs and capacity. Duration of Intervention: To effectively meet the needs of participants and the participating Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, the intervention will be able to be delivered flexibly. Services will have the option of delivering six 60-90 minute sessions either weekly or fortnightly, or a compressed intervention delivered as a one day program. The one-day program retains all program activities and behavioural change techniques, but is structured to enable delivery of content in a concentrated manner. The sessions will run as follow. Session 1: Smoking harms and the benefits of quitting • Understand the potential health risks associated with smoking. • Understand the multitude of health benefits that can be gained by quitting smoking. • Discuss practical approaches to minimise exposure to passive smoke. Session 2: Reasons for smoking & challenges • Reflect on personal motivations and reasons for quitting smoking, exploring the potential benefits and positive changes that can be experienced. • Reflect and understand motivations behind smoking, which may include social influences, stress relief, habit formation, peer pressure, or psychological factors. • Understand the difficulties and obstacles often encountered when attempting to quit smoking. Session 3: Nicotine dependence, smoking cessation supports & starting the quitting process • Understand how nicotine affects the brain and creates a physiological and psychological dependency. • Understand how NRT and other cessation supports in the journey of quitting smoking. • Understand strategies for effectively addressing the challenges that may have arisen during previous attempts to quit smoking. • Initiate the process of creating a comprehensive quit plan to enhance successfully quitting. • Combination NRT will be offered based on preference and participants will be instructed to start using the NRT on their quit day. Session 4: Behaviour Change Techniques & quit plan • Discuss replacement behaviours for managing smoking urges and cultivating new habits. • Discuss relapse prevention including strategies and techniques to anticipate, manage, and ultimately avoid returning to smoking after quitting. • Finalize the quit plan and share with the group. Session 5: Successes, barriers, and positive self-building • Learning about motivation, building habits and self-rewards. • Participants will share stages to talk about change after quitting. • Discuss and explore strategies for social support to stay smoke-free. Session 6: Graduation • Empower participants. • Discuss future plans beyond the six weeks. • Reinforcing learning so far.