Smoking study seeks new moms
If you’re pregnant or recently had a baby — and smoke — Therese Harper and Anita Cramp want you.
The researchers at the University of Western Ontario are signing up women to find out if exercise can help women quit smoking or, if they’ve already quit, remain smoke-free.
“People are motivated to quit, people are motivated to start exercising, but it’s a challenge that’s tough. It is a hard behaviour to adhere to,” said Harper.
Cramp said most women “are reluctant to take nicotine replacement therapy during the pregnant and post-natal period. We’re trying to use exercise as a therapy because it’s non-pharmacological.”
Supported with a $100,000 grant from the Canadian Tobacco Control Research Initiative, the project hopes to enroll a minimum of 60 pregnant women and 60 women who have had a baby within the past 12 months.
Previous studies have found exercise can reduce cravings in the general population, but pregnant women haven’t been specifically studied.
Often women will quit smoking during pregnancy, but start smoking again after the birth, Cramp said.
“We have a program tailored for them,” she said.
Originally from Auckland, New Zealand, Harper has received a three-year fellowship from the New Zealand government to participate in the research.
If the project succeeds in helping women quit smoking, the results could be used to design programs there, particularly for indigenous groups that have a high smoking rate, Harper said.
Women who sign up for the program are asked to go to the university for a test on a treadmill to evaluate the impact on cravings.
If they want to, they can then sign up for an eight-week program, using the private gym in the lab at Western.
“This facility is so amazing. There is nothing like this in Auckland. We just couldn’t do this research,” Harper said.
Cramp said the eight-week program involves the women coming to the gym twice a week.
There’s no charge for using the facility and the research project picks up parking and transportation costs.
“For the first four weeks, all we will ask them to do is just try to exercise. They don’t have to come in and immediately stop smoking and exercise at the same time,” said Harper.
After four weeks, participants will be asked to stop smoking.
Counselling sessions will also be provided.
