Smoking cessation progroam for grandparents parenting their grandkids

Program chosen:-  Program #2: Smoking cessation program

Group chosen to target: - Grandparents parenting their grandkids

Where to market the program: - Neighborhoods and groups in low income groups and not access healthcare easily.

‘In the most recent Census Bureau statistics, 2.4 million of the nation's families are maintained by grandparents who have one or more of their grandchildren living with them’, these are facts stated by the Ohio State University extension sheet. I would use the smoking cessation program to help the group of grandparents that are parenting grandkids or living with grandkids, young children of family.

According to Sarcella (2003) ‘children in grandparent care are in fact more likely to live in poverty and with a caregiver in poor health, but both groups experience similarly high levels of housing problems, food insecurity, and poor caregiver mental health’.

The program would focus to make the older generation aware of the health hazards of smoking to their health due to age, living conditions (low income group) and the nature of the habit. The program would also be aimed at making the group aware of the damage their smoking causes to the children around them, the hazards of second hand smoking which in some cases is even more than the first hand smoking.

According to Jendrek (1994) who did a detailed study on 114 grandparents parenting grandkids, usually the decision to parent grandkids is that of ‘impulse’ and mostly grandparents have offered to do so.

On the contrary Burton’s (1992) study on black grandparents and great grandparents who are having to raise grandchildren as a result of drugs addiction of their parents showed results where grandparents felt stress in psychological, physical and financial aspects of their lives. However, most of them reported that the experience was enriching to them.

Smoking can result in such a situation where grandparents end up being in an unexpected situation, and especially if they were smokers some years back then they are capable of picking up the habit again. Al’Absi et al (2005) study shows that increased level of stress can be a reason for a smoking relapse and biological, psychological changes can be a contributing factor to it.

This group will be hard to approach comparatively to a group in a different age group since breaking a habit, understanding a negative health behavior is harder at on older age. Smoking is a stimulant of many chronic diseases would be the first awareness that this group needs. I would approach them with the viewpoint that their health being damaged will not only affect them but also put their grandkids in an unfavorable situations like being put into foster care, instability and loss of a loved one. If we consider that many grandparents offer to care for grandkids, this may appeal to them.

Referencse :-

al’Absi, M., Hatsukami, D., & Davis, G. L. (2005). Attenuated adrenocorticotropic responses to psychological stress are associated with early smoking relapse. Psychopharmacology, 181(1), 107-117.

Burton, L. M. (1992). Black grandparents rearing children of drug-addicted parents: Stressors, outcomes, and social service needs. The Gerontologist,32(6), 744-751.

Jendrek, M. P. (1994). Grandparents who parent their grandchildren: Circumstances and decisions. The Gerontologist, 34(2), 206-216.

Scarcella, C. A. (2003). Identifying and addressing the needs of children in grandparent care. Age, 5(29), 11.

ohioline.osu.edu