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Narratives of smoking relapse: The stories of postpartum women
Author(s) -
Bottorff Joan L.,
Johnson Joy L.,
Irwin Lori G.,
Ratner Pamela A.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
research in nursing and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1098-240X
pISSN - 0160-6891
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-240x(200004)23:2<126::aid-nur5>3.0.co;2-2
Subject(s) - feeling , narrative , smoking cessation , pregnancy , medicine , intervention (counseling) , psychology , postpartum period , relapse prevention , psychiatry , developmental psychology , social psychology , linguistics , philosophy , pathology , biology , genetics
Many women who stop smoking during pregnancy relapse soon after the birth of their infants. Using narrative research, experiences of smoking relapse were explored using interviews with 27 postpartum women. The stories of relapse were analyzed to identify important components, paying attention to commonalities, differences, and areas of emphasis. Five general story lines were identified: (1) controlling one's smoking (starting with a “puff” and consciously restricting the amount smoked); (2) being vulnerable to smoking (relapsing because of an inability to resist cigarettes); (3) nostalgia for one's former self (relapsing to recapture feelings of freedom and happier times); (4) smoking for relief (relapsing to manage emotions and stress); and (5) never really having quit (relapsing because they did not quit for themselves). The findings of this study provide support for the claim that the experiences of smoking cessation and relapse among postpartum women may be unique and, consequently, may require specialized intervention. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Res Nurs Health 23:126–134, 2000