Introduction
The fundamental objective of the methods used in the current project was gathering first-hand empirical data on smoking prevalence in Bankstown, Australia. Therefore, field observation was selected as the primary research method. The regular field studies of smoking-related behaviors at train stations around Bankstown allowed for collecting relevant first-hand information. In addition, the research teams conducted short onsite interviews with the smokers to supplement the report with more accurate data. A. Khan et al. (2020) utilized a similar field notes method during the development of the “10,000 Lives” smoking cessation initiative in Queensland, Australia. The secondary objective of the project was to gather and analyze a sufficient amount of auxiliary scholarly sources on smoking cessation initiatives and smoking prevalence in Australia.
Inclusion/Exclusion of Data
Scholarly sources had to meet the following criteria to be included as auxiliary material:
- Only peer-reviewed articles on the subject of smoking and smoking cessation in Australia were accepted;
- The study area was limited to Australia, except for studies related to communications with stakeholders of smoking-cessation initiatives;
- Studies on other addictions, such as alcohol and substance use, were excluded;
- Studies in other languages than English were excluded from selection.
Information Sources
The primary objective of the project was accomplished via field observations and brief onsite interviews with smoking individuals. Scholarly sources appropriate for achieving the secondary objective were retrieved from CINAHL and Google Scholar databases. The search was based on combinations of the following words and terms: smoking, tobacco, vaping, smoking cessation, smoking cessation initiative, stakeholder communication, stakeholder engagement, Australia, and Bankstown. Reference lists of selected sources were additionally scanned for relevant articles.
Stakeholder Information and Summary
Internal Stakeholders
At this stage of the project, the internal stakeholder pool consists of two primary groups. Firstly, the project team includes students who share ideas for project development and improvement. Their contribution may lead to further development of the project from a health service placement report into a local-level smoking cessation initiative. Secondly, Western Sydney University can be considered another valuable internal stakeholder since its cooperation is necessary for the success of student field teams. Soyster and Fischer (2019) provided an example of stakeholder engagement via focus group activities. In this regard, field team members and Western Sydney University could further enhance cooperation to achieve effectiveness in stressful conditions.
External Stakeholders
The project is not currently dependent on the external stakeholders’ participation and engagement. However, it is possible to determine several external stakeholder groups and outline engagement methods in the case of future local-level smoking cessation initiatives. Most importantly, the project team might cooperate with the New South Wales (NSW) Government initiatives, such as NSW Quitline. For instance, the 10,000 Lives program in Queensland benefited from a partnership with Queensland Quitline, which facilitated smoke cessation in rural and remote communities (A. Khan et al., 2021). In addition, the project team might directly reach the NSW Aboriginal communities to tailor the potential smoking cessation initiative to their needs. For example, R. J. Khan et al. (2021) engaged Aboriginal stakeholders via a series of in-depth interviews about smoking habits in the community. Lastly, the external stakeholder pool might include academic organizations, which might assist with the future dissemination of data gathered throughout the project execution.
Results of Fieldwork Testing/Refining the Data Collection
The fieldwork of the project team allowed us to gather a substantial amount of information on smoking-related behaviors in Bankstown. In particular, the team managed to acquire the following data: age of the smokers, types of products used, including electronic vapes and tobacco packages such as boxes and roll-ons, and non-smoker behaviors in the area. This empirical evidence made it possible to create a picture of smoking prevalence in Bankstown. Furthermore, the survey made it possible to determine the potential pathways to smoking cessation in the local area. In particular, people who preferred vaping to cigarettes appeared less inclined to relapse into traditional smoking. This observation corresponds with the randomized controlled trials and population-based studies that confirmed the effectiveness of vaping in smoking cessation (Mendelsohn et al., 2020). In this regard, fieldwork resulted in a successful acquisition of baseline data on smoking in Bankstown.
Conclusion
Once the initial project goals are accomplished, the data collection can be further refined. In particular, the area of field teams’ operation can be expanded to cover more extensive parts of Bankstown. Additionally, field teams may start conducting more short onsite interviews in addition to observation. Furthermore, the project data collection process might utilize extra variables related to smoking and smoking cessation factors. Such variables might include but are not limited to self-perceived psychological distress, nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT) use, and avoidance of others’ cigarette smoke (Chambers, 2022). Once the data collection process is refined and expanded, it will become possible to elaborate on the current smoking profile of Bankstown. Consequently, any potential efforts in local smoke cessation will become more targeted and stakeholder-oriented, which is crucial for future initiatives.
References
Chambers, M. S. (2022). Effect of vaping on past‐year smoking cessation success of Australians in 2019 – Evidence from a national survey.Addiction, 1-10. Web.
Khan, A., Green, K., Khandaker, G., Lawler, S., & Gartner, C. (2020). Describing the inputs, activities and outputs of “10,000 Lives”, a coordinated regional smoking cessation initiative in Central Queensland, Australia. medRxiv, 1-24. Web.
Khan, A., Green, K., Khandaker, G., Lawler, S., & Gartner, C. (2021). How can a coordinated regional smoking cessation initiative be developed and implemented? A programme logic model to evaluate the ‘10,000 Lives’ health promotion initiative in Central Queensland, Australia.BMJ Open, 11(3), e044649. Web.
Khan, R. J., Poder, N., Kovai, V., Robinson, L., Wright, D., Spinks, M., Heathcote, J., Millen, E., Welsh, K., & Bedford, K. (2021). Culturally tailored tobacco control: Aboriginal community perspectives in Sydney, Australia.Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 32(2), 264-273. Web.
Mendelsohn, C., Hall, W., & Borland, R. (2020). Could vaping help lower smoking rates in Australia? Drug and Alcohol Review, 39(4), 415-418. Web.
Soyster, P. D., & Fisher, A. J. (2019). Involving stakeholders in the design of ecological momentary assessment research: An example from smoking cessation.PLoS One, 14(5), e0217150. Web.