Behavioral health change interventions targeting specific reasons for smoking cessation relapse in postpartum women such as post pregnancy weight management and parenting stress may be helpful in improving postpartum smoking cessation maintenance outcomes in women who quit smoking while pregnant. Specifically, interventions to increase exercise among smokers attempting to quit represent a potentially efficacious approach for cessation maintenance for this group of women.
The first aim i s to conduct the formative work needed to develop an exercise-based smoking cessation relapse prevention program for reducing postpartum relapse in women who quit smoking during pregnancy.
The second aim i s to determine the feasibility and acceptability of the exercise-based smoking cessation relapse prevention program. To address these aims this pilot project will include two components: 1) semi-structured qualitative interviews and 2) development and piloting of intervention materials. In Phase 1 we will conduct 10 semi-structured qualitative interviews that will explore 1) acceptability of a postpartum smoking cessation maintenance intervention with an adjunct physical activity component;2) preferred duration and format of treatment / follow- up;and 3) perceived barriers to treatment. Phases 1 and 2 will be used to refine and revise the intervention protocol and to conduct a small feasibility trial. This pilot stdy will provide data regarding the feasibility of this type of intervention and help to identify modifications needed in the design of a larger efficacy trial. No prior study has examined an exercise-based smoking cessation program to prevent postpartum smoking cessation in women who quit smoking during pregnancy.
The proposed study is the development and pilot testing of an exercise- based smoking cessation relapse prevention program with an adjunct physical activity program to help women remain abstinent postpartum. This intervention will provide information to create more successful interventions to help women remain abstinent postpartum.
