Among College Students in Cities in the East Coast
This study aims to explore and describe the important factors in the successful cessation from smoking among college students in the East Coast. This is significant because it will explore the solutions to cigarette smoking, a crucial health problems in the United States, especially among younger people. The prescriptions and the evidences of success of attempting to quit smoking for a permanent period of time will be very helpful.
Specifically, this study will explore and document the prevalence of successful ceasing from smoking, the characteristics of these quitters, and the association between patterns of smoking and the intentions to quit and other behavior related to quitting among college students.
Other main themes discussed include the reasons why college students increasingly engage in smoking, why they try to quit, and why they find it hard to quit. The study also explores the various ways by which to reduce and/or eventually stop the habit of smoking among the students of higher institutions of learning. It shall also touch on the probable effects of smoking among these students.
Rationale
There are many serious world health problems today and one of the most serious is lung cancer. According to various studies undertaken in the recent past, the main cause of lung cancer is smoking. Cigarette smoking is considered as the major risk factor for lung cancer. In the U.S., about 90% of lung cancer cases are attributed to smoking. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2004) This explains why smoking, more especially among the youths, has been ranked as the biggest challenge in curbing lung cancer.
According to Michael (2005), more than 750,000 youths die in America because of smoking, despite smoking being considered as the single most preventable factor influencing health. Arguably, people smoke due to various reasons. Research indicates that one of the leading causes of smoking cigarettes is stress and depression. It has been noted that a number of people engage not only in smoking, but in other forms of drug abuse, as a way of handling stress when they have problems. The other reason why people smoke is to achieve group membership and status, as they try to develop their identity. Smoking is one act that brings together individuals of a certain group, more especially those of the same age. (Ibid.)
Although the number of people smoking has considerably reduced, smoking is still a big challenge because those who have already in this act find difficulties in quitting. For instance, studies indicate that more than 80% of smokers in the entire globe are willing and want to quit, but unfortunately only 5% are able to do so permanently every year. This is one of the reasons why the general practitioners (GPs) in America and Europe have been given the responsibility of providing health information, through the application of the “Five As”: Ask, Advise, Asses, Assist, and Arrange model for every smoker, in the attempt of wiping out smoking in these countries. (Medbo, Melbye & Rudbeck, 2011)
Thus, this research is significant because it will explore the solutions to cigarette smoking, a crucial health problems, especially among younger people. (Patterson, et. al., 2004) While a large majority of these young population attempts to quit smoking, the success rate is minimal. (Ibid.) Thus, the prescriptions and the evidences of success of attempting to quit smoking for a permanent period of time are very helpful.
Studies reflect that the addictive behaviors like smoking are established during adolescence. (QuitSmokingSupport Website, 2012) As such, these young people are more likely to become hooked with smoking and they are the most likely victims of the various health problems due to smoking. Cigarette smoking is common among America’s young generation. (Ibid.)
In the brighter side, college students or those who are in their higher education levels are most likely to quit smoking. According to the Washington College Website (2012), as these students have habitually spent half to one pack of cigarettes daily, they often become disenchanted with smoking. College students are most likely to quit at this point. If they are taught the best ways to quit, they would probably quit in an instance. It is said that about 70% of smokers would instantly quit if they know they can be successful and more than 70% would want to stop smoking before graduation. (Ibid.) This is the best outcome this research could contribute in making these young people quit smoking.
It is alarming that statistics indicate that the number of students trying to smoke in higher institutions of learning. This indicates that smoking should be classified as one of the serious issues that should be dealt with, if at all the efforts of reducing preventable deaths and diseases such as lung cancer, will have a positive impact in the society. (Robinson, 2010)
However, this paper also acknowledges the extreme difficult in quitting. Hence, the exploration of the most manageable and successful ways of quitting smoking for good is a very significant topic of research for the general public. If they are more likely to stop, other drug related problems like aggression and violence, high risk sexual behaviors, attempted suicide, etc. can be reduced. (QuitSmokingSupport Website, 2012)
Conceptualization
This research aims to position itself in the more thorough description of the young adults who have quit smoking for good. No research has ever explored the success patterns of the young students’ attempts to permanently quit smoking. This is especially true with the students in the East Coast (or even in the West Coast or the whole United States). According to Moran, et. al. (2004), there is scant interest in the context by which young people use tobacco products. If there is a clear view of how the young people use and stop using cigarettes, better strategies can be developed to prevent msoking and promote anti-smoking among the young generation. ( Ling & Glantz, 2002)
While various studies relate college smoking to several factors like peer pressures, social needs, and the likes, there have been no clear indications of the stronger points by which these young people quit. This research aims to have a definite sample of young people who have tried to quit and have become successful. Little is known about them and how they have used various strategies of quitting.
Hence, this study will explore and document the prevalence of successful ceasing from smoking, the characteristics of these quitters, and the association between patterns of smoking and the intentions to quit and other behavior related to quitting among college students in the East Coast. The large representative sample for this study will be very significant to any program or nationwide healthcare initiatives from the government and/or the private sector. Hence, the conceived idea of this study targets to describe the process and/or pattern of quitting cigarette smoking, to utlize its role in the information campaign againt smoking and the promotion of health and well being among young generation.
Research Questions
A fundamental goal of this research study is to examine the factors which lead to a successful and permanent quitting in smoking, especially among young people who are in their higher years of education. In probing this questions, other main themes are discussed such as why college students increasingly engage in smoking, why they try to quit, and why they find it hard to quit. It also explores the various ways by which to reduce and/or eventually stop the habit of smoking among the youth, more especially students of higher institutions of learning. It shall also touch on the probable effects of smoking among these students.
This research shall then focus on three major research themes:
1. The exploration of the various ways that college students use to permanently quit smoking.
2. The analysis of the influential factors on the successful and permanent stopping from smoking.
3. To explore age as a key influence for quitting to smoke besides gender and other demographic factors.
The study will be aimed at answering the following questions:
1.
Why do college students engage in smoking?
2.
What are the probable effects of smoking among students, besides the associated diseases?
3.
Why is it difficult for smokers to quit the smoking habit?
4.
What can be done to reduce or rather stop smoking habits among the students?
5.
What are the best ways to quit smoking for a permanent basis?
Methodology, Protocol and Logistics
This research will mainly use the qualitative research design. It will use the descriptive method of research which is often concerned with illustrating the natural conditions of the present research problem. The qualitative research design is the best and the most apt specifically when the research problem is exploratory and descriptive in nature. (Babbie, 2005) Through this, the qualitative design is able to qualify and/or quantify or operationalize research information which seems abstract or unaccountable such as values, feelings and convictions.
This paper combines the research approach of descriptive and exploratory research with an attempt to evaluate the ways or the processes by which college students quit smoking. Exploratory research is often used in an attempt to answer the research phenomenon being observed and studied. It aims to address the research problem by yielding information which can make the research problem clearer or find the best solution to answer it. Hence, this research is exploratory in nature because it attempted to secure information regarding the causes of smoking maong college stdunets and the factors which led totheir succssful cessation from it. The overall approach illustrates the combination of primary research findings and the advanced analysis of the recent resources such as quantitative data which will support the contentions found in the data gathering stage. (Anderson, 2004)
Qualitative method involves three categories of data collection: in depth interviews, direct observation, and secondary data such as written documents. In this study, several instruments in gathering the data will be used. It will primarily consist of the Interview Guide and Survey Questionanires. The former is the appropriate survey form used in gathering insights for this study. The questionnaire will focus mainly in determining the ways by which college students engaged and quit in smoking. The data gathered from open ended interviews is composed of the direct and primary information which the smokers from various colleges and universities in the East Coast have imparted in behalf of their organizations. It consisted of direct quotes and comments of interviewees about how they perceive the research problem presented to them. (Ibid.)
Initially, the units of study will be identified. In this case, random sampling techniques will be applied. First, different colleges and universities within the East Coast of the country will be selected. From thereafter, students will be grouped into two categories: smoking females and smoking males. This will be done through random sampling. (Babbie, 2005)
The survey method will be used in data collection. In order for this method to be effectively applied, open and close ended questionnaires will be designed. Closed questionnaires will supplied to the units of study to be filled at their own time; while on the other hand, open ended questionnaires will be used in interviewing the units of study. The information from both methods will be then compared to establish their reliability. This will then be followed by analysis of the data, from which, conclusions and recommendations will be drawn. (Ibid.)
Qualitative data gathering procedure will be applied. One-on-one interviews will be conducted. College students of selected colleges and universities located in the East Coast will be chosen and interviewed using interview guides and notes prepared in order to secure the data. (Trochim & Donnelly, 2008) The list of the colleges and universities will be gathered through the list of various colleges and universities by states as provided by the University of Texas at Austin Website. Through the interviews, the researcher will probe into the various reasons why college students engaged in smoking and why they want to quit and how they succeeded in doing so. The availability of the interviewees will be mainly considered. Those who will not be available or will not be keen on giving their inputs will be discarded from the list.
The major steps undergone by this researcher to pre qualify and select the interviews were as follows:
a. Obtaining the formal list of college students from the pre selected colleges and universities from the University of Texas at Austin Website.
b. Selection of the college students based on their preliminary survey if they smoke or not and/or if they have quit smoking. Those short listed are to be contacted through telephone. They will be asked if they are willing to further answer a survey questionnaire on the above mentioned study.
c. These students will be also checked through background investigation. Those who were believed and referred by existing documents to have smoked or have quit smoking will be retained in the list. They will be asked if they could be interviewed in relation to the preliminary questions the researcher would like to know. If negative, they were dropped from the list.
d. The final list of the college students who engaged and quit smoking from various colleges and universities in the East Coast will be arranged for an interview.
e. The interviews will be recorded by written notes and through transcription.
Data and materials related to the research inquiry will be used in order to support the field interviews conducted. Notes will also be taken for this qualitative method. Existing documents such as newspapers, annual reports, websites, books, etc. were also analyzed through content analysis.
One main limitation to this explorative study is that biased information may be gathered. This could be due to the fact that the group under investigation might not be ready to disclose full information about their habits due to various reasons. Also, it may be due to the nature in which information will be gathered.
Analysis
The researcher will analyze the interview/survey data and documents in order to obtain the information required to answer the research questions. It consists of direct observation and analyses of primary and secondary data.
1. Primary Data - this study will use interviews and questionnaires as the main research method for obtaining primary data. The goal is to get an overall situation of cigarette smoking and cessation among college students in the colleges and universities of the East Coast.
2. Secondary Data - the term secondary data is often used to refer to both secondary data (the raw data obtained in various studies) and secondary sources (the published summaries of these data). (Ibid.)
The researcher will collect suitable secondary data which will contribute to the in-depth exploration of the research problems stated above. The researcher intends to initially analyze and compare the information from the secondary data and then focus on linking the findings with those from interviews and survey information. The researcher will conduct a descriptive analysis that will generate legitimate conclusions on the research questions featured in this study. The secondary data include academic journals, books, anti smoking organizations’ studies and statistics, and sources from the Internet.
According to Trochim (2008), the validity and the reliability of the data gathered will ultimately depend, on a greater part, on the research skills of the researcher, by which he/she methodologically and sensitively evaluates and selects the materials to be used in his/her research. As pointed out, the scientific method of observation is rigorous and it consists of looking beyond what is ordinarily seen and observed. Content analysis, which is partly used with the written documents, aims to collect useful and credible qualitative data evaluation and this can only happen when the researcher carefully observed discipline, know-how and training when he/she utilized it for research purpose. All these criteria will be looked for by the researcher in choosing the proper documents and materials and references needed by this research.
Schedule
This study shall be accomplished in three months period of field interviews, documentation and analysis. Two weeks will be allotted to the culling of the list of names of the respondents from various colleges and universities in the East Coast. Another two weeks will be devoted to the pre selection and prior screening to derive the representative sample of those college students who engaged and successfully quit smoking. Three sets of mailing will be done in the period of one month and two weeks will be allotted to gather, document and analyze their answers. Another two weeks will be devoted to the actual writing of the paper. The rest will be on the editing and finalization of the thesis paper.
References:
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Ling P, Glantz S. (2002). Why and how the tobacco industry sells cigarettes to young adults: evidence from industry documents. American Journal of Public Health, 92. pp. 908– 916.
Medbo, A., Melbye, H., & Rudbeck, C. (2011). I did not Intend to Stop. I Just could not Stand Cigarettes Anymore. A Qualitative Interview Study of Smoking Cessation among the Elderly. BMC: Family Practice.
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Moran, S., MD, Wechsler, H., MD, & Rigotti, N., MD. (October 1, 2004). Social Smoking among US College Students. Pediatrics, 114. Pp. 1028-1043.
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QuitSmokingSupport Website. (2012). FAQs about Smoking. Web. Retrieved on March 20, 2012 from, http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com/.
The University of Texas at Austin Website. (2012). U.S. Universities. Web. Retrieved on March 19, 2012 from, http://www.utexas.edu/world/univ/state/.
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2004). The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. Retrieved on March 20, 2012 from, http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/2004/.
Washington College Website. (2012). Health Service and Counseling: Student Smoking Cessation Program. Web. Retrieved on March 20, 2012 from, http://health.washcoll.edu/smokingcessationprogram.php.
