Associate Professor Gillian Gould

© 2019 Background: Addressing smoking cessation during pregnancy among Aboriginal women is a national priority under the Closing the Gap campaign. There is a need to measure and report interventions to support Aboriginal women during pregnancy. Aim: To quantitatively assess women's smoking experiences over a 12 week ICAN QUIT in Pregnancy program. Methods: Aboriginal women and/or women expecting an Aboriginal baby reported their smoking experiences through repeated cross-sectional survey at baseline, four weeks, and 12 weeks. Self-reported nicotine dependence measures (heaviness of smoking index, strength of urges and frequency of urges to smoke), intentions to quit smoking, quit attempts, use of nicotine replacement therapy were gathered as well as a carbon-monoxide measure at each time point. Results: Expectant mothers (n = 22) of Aboriginal babies participated from six Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services between November 2016 and July 2017. At 12 weeks women reported (n = 17) low heaviness of smoking index 1.21 with high strength of urges 2.64 and frequency of urges 3.00; 12/13 (92%) reported likely/very likely to quit smoking, made a mean 1.67 number of quit attempts, three women (13.6%) quit smoking (validated); 5/16 (31%) reported using nicotine replacement therapy. Discussion: Participating women made multiple quit attempts demonstrating motivation to quit smoking. Smoking cessation interventions should be tailored to address high strength and frequency of nicotine dependence despite low consumption. Conclusion: Prolonged smoking cessation support is recommended to address physical, behavioural and psychological aspect of smoking. Cessation support should address previous quitting experiences to assess smoking dependence and tailoring of support. Trial registration: Australian and New Zealand Clinicial Trials Registry (Ref #ACTRN12616001603404).

© 2019 Elsevier Ltd Introduction: Health providers are lacking in their provision of smoking cessation care during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to systematically review all available global studies on the effectiveness of interventions in improving health providers¿ provision of smoking cessation care during pregnancy. Methods: Five databases were searched, Inclusion criteria included all intervention study types. Two reviewers screened abstracts and full texts independently. Interventions were characterized according to the Effective Practice Of Care taxonomy. Random-effects meta-analyses examined intervention effects on smoking cessation care components based on the 5As. Estimates were number of participants reporting each outcome, or mean score, transformed into Cohen's d. Crude meta-regressions, and meta-analysis subgrouping, were performed to examine whether intervention effects for ¿Ask¿ ¿Advise¿ and ¿Assist¿ differed by intervention components. Results: Of 3165 manuscripts, 16 fulfilled inclusion criteria. Pooled analysis showed significant small to large intervention effects on the different care components (Cohen's d ranging from 0.47 for ¿Ask¿ (95%CI 0.13¿0.81) to 1.12 (95%CI 0.45¿1.79) for ¿Setting a quit date¿). Crude meta-regression suggested that for ¿Ask¿ having a theoretical basis may improve effectiveness (Cohen's d difference 0.62, 95% CI 0.12¿1.1). Subgrouping the meta-analysis suggested that audit and feedback possibly increases intervention effectiveness for ¿Advise¿ and ¿Assist¿. Conclusion: Interventions designed to improve provision of smoking cessation care during pregnancy show a small increase in care components. Studies vary substantially in design, intervention components, and outcome measurement, impacting ability to synthesize available data. Audit and feedback and enhancing intervention design by using behaviour change theories may improve effectiveness. Registration: PROSPERO CRD42016030143.

© 2017 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists The use of nicotine replacement therapy in pregnancy has been debated but evidence suggests that it is safer than smoking. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with: (i) general practitioners and obstetricians from a college database; and (ii) general practitioners with a special interest in Indigenous health. General practitioners had higher odds of prescribing compared to obstetricians. Reading guidelines, confidence, viewing nicotine replacement therapy as safe, effective and with good adherence, also significantly increased the odds of prescription. Clear guidance regarding safety and efficacy, with practical clinical protocols, are required in order to reduce variation in prescribing rates across these clinicians.

© 2017 Australian College of Midwives Aim: To gather Aboriginal women's stories of smoking and becoming pregnant to identify the barriers in accepting smoking cessation support during pregnancy. Methods: Qualitative data were collected through use of yarning methodology between August 2015 and January 2016 by an Aboriginal Researcher with experience in social and community services. A short on-line survey was used to collect quantitative data. Interviews only recorded the therapeutic yarning process, which ranged from 9 to 45 min duration, averaging 30 min. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed and independently coded. A general inductive analysis was used to determine emergent themes. Results: Twenty Aboriginal women between 17¿38 years of age, who were pregnant or recently given birth, living in the Hunter New England (HNE) area took part. Eleven women were still smoking; nine had quit. Most were highly aware of the implications of smoking for their babies. Major themes identified for accepting support were: ambivalence towards a need for support, health professional advice, reduction in smoking, and attitudes to Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). Women reported being advised to cut down, rather than to quit; reducing consumption may be a barrier to accepting NRT. Women recommended enhanced clinical support and Aboriginal community engagement in cessation care. Discussion/conclusions: Aboriginal women in the HNE area reported quitting or reducing their cigarette intake during pregnancy. Health Professionals working with Aboriginal women during pregnancy should give consistent messages to quit smoking completely, and offer increased, ongoing and extensive smoking cessation support to Aboriginal mothers. Clinical practices could partner with Aboriginal communities to support the delivery of smoking cessation services.

© 2017 The Authors Tobacco smoking during pregnancy is the most important modifiable risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes and long-term health complications for mother and baby. Tobacco use during pregnancy has decreased in high-income countries but not in Indigenous women in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and Canada. This evidence-based review focuses on tobacco use among Indigenous pregnant women in high-income countries that share a history of European colonization. Indigenous women are more likely to use tobacco because of socioeconomic disadvantage, social norms, and poor access to culturally appropriate tobacco cessation support. Complications arising from tobacco smoking during pregnancy, such as low birth weight, prematurity, perinatal death, and sudden infant death syndrome, are much higher in Indigenous populations. Effective approaches to cessation in pregnant nonindigenous women involves behavioral counseling, with or without nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). Higher nicotine metabolism during pregnancy and poor adherence may affect therapeutic levels of NRT. Only two randomized trials were conducted among Indigenous women: neither found a statistically significant difference in cessation rates between the treatment and comparison arms. Considerations should be given to (1) whole life course approaches to reduce tobacco use in Indigenous women, (2) prohibiting tobacco promotion and reducing access to alcohol for minors to prevent smoking initiation in Indigenous youth, and (3) training health-care professionals in culturally appropriate smoking cessation care to improve access to services. It is critical to ensure acceptability and feasibility of study designs, consult with the relevant Indigenous communities, and preempt implementation challenges. Research is needed into the effect of reducing or stopping smoking during pregnancy when using NRT on subsequent maternal and infant outcomes.

© 2017 Objective One in two Indigenous Australian pregnant women smoke, yet little is known about their trajectory of smoking. This study aimed to explore Aboriginal women's narratives from starting smoking through to pregnancy. Methods A female Aboriginal Researcher conducted individual face-to-face interviews with 20 Aboriginal women from New South Wales, Australia. Recruitment, through Aboriginal services and community networks, continued until saturation was reached. Audio-recorded transcripts were independently open coded by two researchers, inductively analysed and reported using a three-dimensional structure of looking backwards, forwards, inwards, outwards and a sense of place, to elucidate the chronology of events, life stages, characters, environments, and turning points of the stories. Results A chronology emerged from smoking initiation in childhood, coming of age, becoming pregnant, through to attempts at quitting, and relapse post-partum. Several new themes emerged: the role mothers play in women's smoking and quitting; the contribution of nausea to spontaneous quitting; depression as a barrier to quitting; and the hopes of women for their own and their children's future. The epiphany of pregnancy was a key turning point for many ¿ including the interplay of successive pregnancies; and the intensity of expressed regret. Conclusions Aboriginal women report multiple influences in the progression of early smoking to pregnancy and beyond. Potential opportunities to intervene include: a) childhood, coming of age, pregnancy, post-natal, in-between births; b) key influencers; c) environments, and d) targeting concurrent substance use. Morning sickness appears to be a natural deterrent to continued smoking. Depression, and its relationship to smoking and quitting in Australian Indigenous pregnant women, requires further research.

© The Author 2017. Introduction: Similar to other high-income countries, smoking rates in pregnancy can be high in specific vulnerable groups in Australia. Several clinical guidelines exist, including the 5A's (Ask, Advice, Assess, Assist, and Arrange), ABCD (Ask, Brief advice, Cessation, and Discuss), and AAR (Ask, Advice, and Refer). There is lack of data on provision of smoking cessation care (SCC) of Australian General Practitioners (GPs) and Obstetricians. Methods: A cross-sectional survey explored the provision of SCC, barriers and enablers using the Theoretical Domains Framework, and the associations between them. Two samples were invited: (1) GPs and Obstetricians from a college database (n = 5571) (2) GPs from a special interest group for Indigenous health (n = 500). Dimension reduction for the Theoretical Domains Framework was achieved with factor analysis. Logistic regression was carried out for performing all the 5A's and the AAR. Results: Performing all of the 5A's, ABCD, and AAR "often and always" was reported by 19.9%, 15.6%, and 49.2% respectively. "Internal influences" (such as confidence in counselling) were associated with higher performance of the 5A's (Adjusted OR 2.69 (95% CI 1.5, 4.8), p <.001), whereas "External influences" (such as workplace routine) were associated with higher performance of AAR (Adjusted OR 1.7 (95% CI 1, 2.8), p =.035). Conclusions: Performance in providing SCC to pregnant women is low among Australian GPs and Obstetricians. Training clinicians should focus on improving internal influences such as confidence and optimism. The AAR may be easier to implement, and interventions at the service level should focus on ensuring easy, effective, and acceptable referral mechanisms are in place. Implications: Improving provision of the 5A's approach should focus on the individual level, including better training for GPs and Obstetricians, designed to improve specific "internal" barriers such as confidence in counselling and optimism. The AAR may be easier to implement in view of the higher overall performance of this approach. Interventions on a more systemic level need to ensure easy, effective, and acceptable referral mechanisms are in place. More research is needed specifically on the acceptability of the Quitline for pregnant women, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous.

© 2016 La Trobe University. Smoking rates are slow to decline among pregnant Indigenous women. One in two pregnant Indigenous Australian women is a tobacco smoker compared with one in eight in the non-Indigenous population. The National Close the Gap strategy ambitiously aims to reduce Indigenous smoking prevalence to half by 2018, but this goal is unlikely to be achieved. Evidence is growing to better inform targeted strategies for Indigenous pregnant women based on national and international studies. It is proposed to be an appropriate time to refine translational approaches for anti-tobacco messages and cessation support in this population, rather than waiting for further empirical research before making these essential changes. Systemic barriers to Indigenous pregnant women receiving equitable primary health care have been identified, are remediable, and urgently require addressing. These barriers include: (1) lack of subsidised access to suitable oral forms of nicotine replacement therapy; (2) lack of clinician training in the complex area of management of maternal Indigenous smoking; and (3) lack of targeted health promotion programs addressing the psychosocial challenges that Indigenous women face. In the interim, translational strategies to target tobacco control and cessation in pregnant Indigenous women need to be based on current evidence.

© 2015, BMJ. All rights reserved. Objectives: To assess the predictors of intentions to quit smoking in a community sample of Aboriginal smokers of reproductive age, in whom smoking prevalence is slow to decline. Design, setting and participants: A cross-sectional survey involved 121 Aboriginal smokers, aged 18-45 years from January to May 2014, interviewed at community events on the Mid-North Coast NSW. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected on smoking and quitting attitudes, behaviours and home smoking rules. Perceived efficacy for quitting, and perceived threat from smoking, were uniquely assessed with a validated Risk Behaviour Diagnosis (RBD) Scale. Main outcome measures: Logistic regression explored the impact of perceived efficacy, perceived threat and consulting previously with a doctor or health professional (HP) on self-reported intentions to quit smoking, controlling for potential confounders, that is, protection responses and fear control responses, home smoking rules, gender and age. Participants' comments regarding smoking and quitting were investigated via inductive analysis, with the assistance of Aboriginal researchers. Results: Two-thirds of smokers intended to quit within 3 months. Perceived efficacy (OR=4.8; 95% CI 1.78 to 12.93) and consulting previously with a doctor/HP about quitting (OR=3.82; 95% CI 1.43 to 10.2) were significant predictors of intentions to quit. 'Smoking is not doing harm right now' was inversely associated with quit intentions (OR=0.25; 95% CI 0.08 to 0.8). Among those who reported making a quit attempt, after consulting with a doctor/HP, 40% (22/60) rated the professional support received as low (0-2/10). Qualitative themes were: the negatives of smoking (ie, disgust, regret, dependence and stigma), health effects and awareness, quitting, denial, 'smoking helps me cope' and social aspects of smoking. Conclusions: Perceived efficacy and consulting with a doctor/HP about quitting may be important predictors of intentions to quit smoking in Aboriginal smokers of reproductive age. Professional support was generally perceived to be low; thus, it could be improved for these Aboriginal smokers. Aboriginal participants expressed strong sentiments about smoking and quitting.

Background: Smoking is the most important preventable cause of adverse outcomes in pregnancy. However, most smokers who become pregnant continue to smoke and most of those who quit relapse after delivery. Objective: This article explores the relationship between smoking and pregnancy, and reviews the evidence for best practice intervention by general practitioners. Discussion: Continuing to smoke during pregnancy is strongly associated with socioeconomic disadvantage, mental illness and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations. Quitting is more difficult for these groups and interventions assist only sixin every 100 pregnant smokers to quit. Behavioural counselling is the first-line treatment. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) can be offered if the smoker is unable to quit without it, although its efficacy is uncertain. Adequate doses of nicotine and good adherance may be required for the best results. The use of NRT in pregnancy is likely to be less harmful than continuing to smoke. Women should be encouraged to quit smoking before becoming pregnant.