Themes, subcategories and examples of comments made in response to open-ended questions in the study with 121 Aboriginal smokers in regional New South Wales, Australia
| Theme | Subcategory | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Negatives about smoking | Disgust | ‘I hate it’, ‘horrible’, ‘disgusting’, ‘filthy dirty habit’, ‘shitty’, ‘it stinks’ |
| Dependence | ‘too far gone to break the habit’, ‘I depend on it’, ‘very addictive’ | |
| Regret | ‘didn't think about what I was doing when I was younger’, ‘wish I never started’ | |
| Cost | ‘very expensive’, ‘over paying price’ | |
| Stigma | ‘really bad social stigma’, ‘fed up being told we're bad’ | |
| Health effects | Health | ‘watched my father die from heart disease...sits in the back of your mind’, ‘just lost my mother from cancer…don't want to end up like her’ |
| Protecting others | ‘don't want to touch baby with smoking hands’, government should ban cigarettes, ‘break the cycle’ | |
| Misconceptions | ‘I've seen elders give up then develop cancer’, ‘I'm scared quitting will cause cancer’ | |
| Quitting | Wanting to quit | ‘don't want to smoke any more’, ‘wish I could give up’, ‘I'm trying to quit’ |
| Willpower | ‘it's a matter of willpower’, ‘I know my own willpower’ | |
| Support | ‘would like to have group support, not do it alone’ | |
| Quit medications | ‘patches don't work for me’, doctor told some that medication was unsuitable, requests for further information, desire to try medication | |
| Denial | Smoking is no problem | ‘don't think much about it’, ‘not much to say about it’, ‘don't really see myself as a smoker’ |
| Quitting not a priority | ‘not worried about quitting at the moment’, ‘couldn't be bothered [to quit]’, ‘smoking is a convenience’ | |
| Enjoyment | ‘I like it, makes me feel better’, ‘I enjoy having a cigarette’, | |
| Social aspects | Social and family influences | ‘more of a social thing’, ‘doing it with the crowd’, ‘family all smoked’ |
| Alcohol | ‘a few more with drinks’, ‘need a smoke to go with a drink’ | |
| ‘Smoking helps me cope’ | Stress relief | ‘gets me through the day’, ‘calms your nerves’, ‘helps me cope with stress and anxiety’, |
| Stress as barrier | ‘tried to give up often…but its relaxing’, ‘be stressed out all day [if didn't smoke]’ | |
| Time out | ‘sit and have a smoke for 5 minutes and I can think’, ‘time out from the kids’ | |
| Dealing with weight | ‘that's why I restarted smoking, to loose weight [after childbirth]’ |