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• Correction
  Pamela M Ling
  Published on: 13 May 2016
• Stress and smoking among rural women in Maine: the need for counter-advertising
  Kathleen J. Welch, Ph.D., MPH
  Published on: 13 May 2016
• Emotions for sale
  Norbert Hirschhorn
  Published on: 13 May 2016

• Published on: 13 May 2016

  Correction

  • Pamela M Ling, Assistant Professor of Medicine
  • Other Contributors:
    • Stacey J. Anderson, Stanton A. Glantz

  We would like to correct reference #68 in this article. The correct reference for the document is:

  Brown and Willamson. (1980). No Title. Bates No. 544000497/544000504. http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/mgh10f00.

  Conflict of Interest:
  None declared.

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• Published on: 13 May 2016

  Stress and smoking among rural women in Maine: the need for counter-advertising

  • Kathleen J. Welch, Ph.D., MPH
  • Other Contributors:
    • Katherine A. Marble, CHES, TTS-c

  In their article, Anderson, Glantz and Ling explore messages of psychosocial needs satisfaction in cigarette advertising targeting women. We agree with the authors that counter-advertising should attempt to “expose and undermine the needs satisfaction messages of cigarette advertising”. They mention that “a message of escape from life’s hassles could be countered with a message that addiction further complicates an al...

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  In their article, Anderson, Glantz and Ling explore messages of psychosocial needs satisfaction in cigarette advertising targeting women. We agree with the authors that counter-advertising should attempt to “expose and undermine the needs satisfaction messages of cigarette advertising”. They mention that “a message of escape from life’s hassles could be countered with a message that addiction further complicates an already hassle-ridden life”. During the past two years, the Healthy Community Coalition (HCC) has conducted an anonymous survey in order to gather data on the smoking behaviors of low-income, postpartum women and their partners in rural Greater Franklin County, an area in western Maine larger than Rhode Island with a population density of 17 people per square mile. The study sample included every mother who gave birth during the past two years at the sole hospital serving the area and completed the self-administered survey. Their husbands/partners were given a very similar survey to complete with questions addressing their own smoking behaviors. Results show that smoking among the low-income, postpartum women declined from 33.3% at baseline to 27.5% at end of study. One reason for this decline can be attributed to the HCC program, “Tobacco Free Franklin Families”, which uses funding from the American Legacy Foundation to reduce smoking among low-income families through innovative approaches, such as stress-reduction workshops for low-income mothers and their partners.

  Multivariate analysis of the mothers’ survey data showed that living with someone who smokes was the most powerful risk factor associated with postpartum smoking. Studies show that living with someone who smokes increases up to four times the odds that the postpartum mother will return to smoking. Multivariate analysis also indicated that a mother who was unemployed or disabled was significantly more likely to smoke, as well as a mother who was unmarried or did not have a partner. We recommend innovative counter-advertising which shows that smoking only adds another stressor to the women’s lives. Over a quarter of the mothers (26.5%) reported that in the past twelve months, they or their husband/partner had lost a job; 29.1% often worried that the food in their household would run out before they had money to buy more; and 37.6% often worried about heating their home during the winter. These statistics are consistent with the latest U.S. Census data which show that 46.7% of the children in Franklin County live in low-income families. The counter-advertising might also include humor since 92% of the mothers who smoked were interested in learning how to use humor to deal with stress. Other ad campaigns targeting the partner are also strongly recommended since the vast majority of studies have shown partner smoking to be the main predictor of women smoking postpartum. The counter-advertisements should address psychosocial needs of the husbands/partners. Like the mothers, the partners reported a high prevalence of the same stressors: 23.9% often worried that the food in their household would run out before they had money to buy more and 40.2% often worried about heating their home during the winter.

  Kathleen J. Welch, Ph.D., MPH, Katherine A. Marble, CHES, TTS-c

  About the authors: Dr. Kathleen Welch is the epidemiologist/evaluator for the Healthy Community Coalition's project, Tobacco Free Franklin Families. Katherine Marble is Program Coordinator for Tobacco Free Franklin Families. The HCC is an affiliate of the Franklin Community Health Network located in Farmington, Maine.

  References

  1. Anderson SJ, Glantz SA, Ling PM. Emotions for sale: cigarette advertising and women’s psychosocial needs. Tobacco Control. 2005;14:127- 135.

  2. U.S. Census Bureau. (2000). Current population survey. Retrieved April 26, 2005, from http://www.census.gov/apsd/techdoc/cps/cpsmar00.pdf.

  3. Cohen S, Lichenstein E. Partner behaviors that support quitting smoking. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 1990;58:304-309.

  4. Maine Children’s Alliance, Maine KIDS COUNT (2004). Retrieved April 26, 2005, from http://www.mekids.org

  5. Ratner PA, Johnson JL, Bottorff JL, Dahinten S, Hall W. Twelve- month follow-up of a smoking relapse prevention intervention for postpartum women. Addictive Behaviors. 2000;25:81-92.

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  Conflict of Interest:
  None declared.

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• Published on: 13 May 2016

  Emotions for sale

  • Norbert Hirschhorn, retired

  To the excellent article by Bero, Glantz and Ling one may add the classical observation of RE Thornton of BAT about women's smoking behavior (1):

  "[G]iven that women are more neurotic than men it seems reasonable to assume that they will react more strongly to smoking and health pressures.... [T]here may be a case for launching a female oriented cigarette with relatively high deliveries of nicotine...."

  ...

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  To the excellent article by Bero, Glantz and Ling one may add the classical observation of RE Thornton of BAT about women's smoking behavior (1):

  "[G]iven that women are more neurotic than men it seems reasonable to assume that they will react more strongly to smoking and health pressures.... [T]here may be a case for launching a female oriented cigarette with relatively high deliveries of nicotine...."

  (1) Thornton RE. "The Smoking Behavior of Women Report No. RD 1410." 12 November 1976. British American Tobacco/ Brown adn Williamson. Bates No. 650008159/8191 (at -8183-3)

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  Conflict of Interest:
  None declared.

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