Evaluation of the impact of a smoke-free home initiative in Rotherham, a deprived district in Northern England

ALLMARK, Peter, TOD, Angela, MCDONNELL, Ann, AL-ALAWY, K., MANN, K., HOLLIS, E., QUTISHAT, D., WILLIAMSON, M. and ILIFF, A. (2011). Evaluation of the impact of a smoke-free home initiative in Rotherham, a deprived district in Northern England. The European Journal of Public Health, 22 (2), 248-251.

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Official URL: http://eurpub.oxfordjournals.org/
Link to published version:: https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckr072

Abstract

Background: An evaluation of a smoke-free home initiative launched in Rotherham, northern England, in July 2009. Methods: Two approaches were used: (i) a postal survey of participants 4 months after signing up as a SFH and (ii) a telephone consultation. The survey was sent to 620 households (of 654 who signed up to the scheme); 289 (46.6%) were returned. The telephone consultation involved 20 households before and 20 after signing up to the scheme. Results: Of the households that permitted some smoking at home before the initiative, ∼78% became smoke free after signing up (uncertainty due to missing replies). A high number of participants (169, 60.8%) were already informally smoke free. The most common reasons for participation concerned health, environment, and fire safety. Participants were motivated by, amongst other things, information given in a booklet and by the offer of a fire-safety referral. The most immediate benefits noted by participants were improvements in house hygiene. The most important hindrance to success seemed to be a lack of power to enforce the ban at home, particularly on the part of those living in smokers’ homes. Conclusion: The Rotherham initiative succeeded in creating smoke-free homes. The results should help those planning similar initiatives. Important points include that: many participants had already instituted some rules regarding smoking at home; whether and how to include households that are already smoke-free; risk of fire and concern with house hygiene are important motivations; those living in smokers’ homes may lack power to initiate smoke-free rules.

Item Type: Article
Research Institute, Centre or Group - Does NOT include content added after October 2018: Centre for Health and Social Care Research
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckr072
Page Range: 248-251
Depositing User: Helen Garner
Date Deposited: 28 Jul 2011 12:15
Last Modified: 18 Mar 2021 20:45
URI: https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/3764

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