A Qualitative/Interpretive Taxonomy of Stop Smoking Strategies (QU/ITS)

Research has indicated that using coping strategies is significantly related to resisting smoking during highly tempting situations. However, little is known about the nature of coping during smoking cessation. The purpose of this study was to identify coping strategies used within the first 10 days of smoking cessation by having participants describe these strategies into a handheld tape recorder at the actual time of occurrence. The aim of a qualitative analysis of the narrative accounts was to create a descriptive taxonomy of smoking cessation strategies grounded in the participants'own terms. Over3 consecutive days, 36participants recruitedfrom smoking cessation programs provided 477 narrative accounts of coping episodes. Seven major taxons-context, anticipatory efforts, awareness, urges, strategies, effects, and metaphors-reflected the entire process participants described when dealing with the urge to smoke. This taxonomy, inductively derivedfrom real time rather than retrospective data, provides a holistic picture of strategies used in the early stages of the quit experience.