The experience of continued smoking after stroke in Korean males: A qualitative study.
Jung Hee Youn, Sujin Shin
PMID 33704928WHAT IT FOUND
Korean men who continued smoking after stroke said relief after discharge, peer pressure, and wanting to appear healthy made quitting feel unnecessary; smoking was a companion for stress.
Key findings
01Returning to familiar life after discharge led the men to start smoking again.
02They continued smoking because they feared losing relationships with peers who offered cigarettes and wanted to be seen as healthy rather than as stroke patients.
03Smoking was described as an irreplaceable companion that gave emotional relaxation and helped with loneliness.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 10 men from one Korean stroke centre were analysed, so the findings may not apply to women, other regions, or stroke patients with cognitive impairment. Some contacted men refused or had already quit, so the sample may represent only those willing to discuss smoking after stroke. Participants were selected for no cognitive disorders and reported little or no physical disability, which limits generalisability to more impaired stroke survivors. Qualitative interviews describe experiences and do not show what causes smoking or whether any smoking cessation programme works.
Declared interests
The first author stated they had no conflict of interest in the participants' care; no funding information is provided.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that smoking cessation education or nurse-led programmes are proven effective. This qualitative study of 10 men tested no intervention and recruited only men without cognitive disorders from one Korean hospital.