Exploring the attitudes, knowledge and experiences of smoking-related harm and smoking cessation tools among tobacco smokers living with HIV in Cape Town
1
Non-Communicable Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban and Cape Town, South Africa
2
Public Health Research Center, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
3
Department of Population Health, Grossman School of Medicine, New York University, New York, United States
4
Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A3013
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Tobacco smoking among people living with HIV (PLWH) increases their susceptibility to other infections like tuberculosis and decreases the efficacy of HIV medication. This study explored the knowledge on the harmful effects of tobacco smoking, and the attitudes and experiences with electronic cigarettes (ECs) and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) as cessation tools among PLWH who smoked tobacco .
METHODS:
In this qualitative study, PLWH who received care at three primary healthcare facilities in Cape Town were recruited for six focus group discussions; four were conducted in Afrikaans among the mixed ancestry population and two in IsiXhosa among black Africans. These discussions (n=24) were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and translated into English. Transcripts were analysed using a thematic analysis approach.
RESULTS:
While smoking initiation occurred before receiving an HIV diagnosis, participants described that smoking served as a coping mechanism for stigma and stress faced related to nondisclosure of HIV status to family/friends. Participants seemed aware that smoking contributed to poor health outcomes of cancer and lung disease. They expressed a willingness and strong desire to quit smoking and that previous attempts had been unsuccessful. Despite their regular clinic visits to receive HIV care, participants reported receiving minimal smoking cessation advice from healthcare providers. Largely, participants expressed little-to-no knowledge or experience of NRT. They had some knowledge of ECs and expressed a distrust in them. Reasons/perceptions included that ECs were electronic devices, produced more smoke, and were therefore considered more harmful than combustible cigarettes (CCs). Also, EC users were perceived to smoke more than CC users. Despite their limited knowledge of NRT and reservations around ECs, they were willing to utilize these tools as a gateway to smoking cessation.
CONCLUSIONS:
Our findings highlight a strong desire to quit smoking, inadequate cessation guidance and a willingness to engage with cessation tools.
Tobacco smoking among people living with HIV (PLWH) increases their susceptibility to other infections like tuberculosis and decreases the efficacy of HIV medication. This study explored the knowledge on the harmful effects of tobacco smoking, and the attitudes and experiences with electronic cigarettes (ECs) and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) as cessation tools among PLWH who smoked tobacco .
METHODS:
In this qualitative study, PLWH who received care at three primary healthcare facilities in Cape Town were recruited for six focus group discussions; four were conducted in Afrikaans among the mixed ancestry population and two in IsiXhosa among black Africans. These discussions (n=24) were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and translated into English. Transcripts were analysed using a thematic analysis approach.
RESULTS:
While smoking initiation occurred before receiving an HIV diagnosis, participants described that smoking served as a coping mechanism for stigma and stress faced related to nondisclosure of HIV status to family/friends. Participants seemed aware that smoking contributed to poor health outcomes of cancer and lung disease. They expressed a willingness and strong desire to quit smoking and that previous attempts had been unsuccessful. Despite their regular clinic visits to receive HIV care, participants reported receiving minimal smoking cessation advice from healthcare providers. Largely, participants expressed little-to-no knowledge or experience of NRT. They had some knowledge of ECs and expressed a distrust in them. Reasons/perceptions included that ECs were electronic devices, produced more smoke, and were therefore considered more harmful than combustible cigarettes (CCs). Also, EC users were perceived to smoke more than CC users. Despite their limited knowledge of NRT and reservations around ECs, they were willing to utilize these tools as a gateway to smoking cessation.
CONCLUSIONS:
Our findings highlight a strong desire to quit smoking, inadequate cessation guidance and a willingness to engage with cessation tools.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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