"They Were Willing to Work with Me and Not Pressure Me": A Qualitative Investigation into the Features of Value of a Smoking Cessation in Pregnancy Program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women.

With tobacco commonly used for stress relief, smoking cessation during pregnancy can present challenges for women facing stressful circumstances. This can be pronounced for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who experience disproportionately high smoking rates during pregnancy and also have a greater intersection of stressors from social disadvantage, institutional racism and trauma. To contribute understandings into how women can be best supported at this time, this study identified the features of value of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pregnancy smoking cessation program that addressed the contexts of women's lives in culturally affirming and strength-based ways.

A mixed methods exploratory study tackling smoking during pregnancy in an urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care service.

Background: Pregnancy can be a time of joy and a time of significant stress. For many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter, respectfully, Indigenous) women, cigarette smoking, even during pregnancy, is a socially sanctioned behavioural response to stress. Indigenous women smoke during pregnancy at higher rates than their non-Indigenous counterparts.