Implementing Living Independent From Tobacco With Dyads of People With Disabilities and Their Caregivers: Successes and Lessons Learned

Abstract

People with disabilities have more health complications and higher healthcare utilization related to tobacco use than people without disabilities. Yet, they are less likely to use tobacco cessation resources. Important to meaningful and lasting health behavior change are relationships developed in the home, workplace, and community. Some people with disabilities rely on paid and unpaid caregivers. Just like people with disabilities, paid caregivers are more likely to use tobacco, creating a unique opportunity to target smoking cessation to people with disabilities and their caregivers. Living Independent From Tobacco (LIFT), an evidence-based tobacco cessation intervention, was implemented with dyads of people with disabilities (n = 5) and their caregivers (n = 7). Qualitative analyses revealed that participants valued the dyadic approach and the opportunity to learn coping skills to help with smoking cessation. Lessons for offering inclusive health promotion interventions to people with disabilities and their caregivers are discussed.

Characteristics and Health Service Use of a Longitudinal Cohort of Carers Aged over 45 in Central and Eastern Sydney, Australia

“…Given the higher levels of GP engagement discussed above, there may be opportunities for primary care to recognise carers as a priority population for initiating tobacco cessation discussions. Further qualitative investigation of the lived experience of barriers to tobacco cessation by carers is also required [59].…”