Friday, March 29, 2024
ADVT 
Interesting

Shopping vouchers may help pregnant women kick the butt

Darpan News Desk IANS, 27 Feb, 2015 12:30 PM

    Financial incentives could help one in five women quit smoking during pregnancy, shows a new research.

    Only a small number of women 'gamed' the system to receive the incentives while continuing to smoke.

    While the prevalence of smoking in pregnancy has declined, it remains high amongst more socially deprived groups.

    "We all know of the dangers of smoking, particularly during pregnancy, but quitting can be extremely difficult. Offering financial incentives clearly works for some women - with very few 'gaming' the system and a significant number stopping smoking at least for the duration of their pregnancy," said Theresa Marteau, professor from the University of Cambridge and lead author.

    To assess the potential effectiveness of financial incentives and inform their use in clinical practice, a study was carried out on 239 pregnant women who were enrolled into the financial incentives scheme.

    At each visit to the clinic, the women were asked if they had smoked since the last visit and were given a breath test.

    If they had not smoked, they were given a shopping voucher, the value of which was increased for subsequent visits.

    Testing positive for smoking resulted in the incentive being withheld at that visit.

    Of the women who enrolled in the scheme, 143 received at least one voucher, suggesting that they had attempted to quit.

    One in five of the women (48 women) had managed to quit by the time of delivery.

    In all cases, women from areas of highest deprivation were the least likely to succeed in quitting.

    "Smoking is very addictive and these women have done incredibly well to quit. The incentive scheme gave them that bit of extra help that made all the difference," said Julie Hirst, public health principal at Derbyshire County Council.

    The study was published in the journal Addiction.

    MORE Interesting ARTICLES

    VIDEO: Flying High! Bride Makes Magical Entry With The All-New Flying Veil Trend

    VIDEO: Flying High! Bride Makes Magical Entry With The All-New Flying Veil Trend
    In a 43-second clip, which had collected over 2.5 million views at the time of writing, multiple women wait for the magical white veil that drops elegantly on them.

    VIDEO: Flying High! Bride Makes Magical Entry With The All-New Flying Veil Trend

    What You Don't Know About Manure Use In The Landscape Could Hurt You

    What You Don't Know About Manure Use In The Landscape Could Hurt You
    Organic and synthetic fertilizers are the most common way to add nutrients to the soil, but animal manure is good too, if you can find and transport it.

    What You Don't Know About Manure Use In The Landscape Could Hurt You

    Disney Raises Theme Park Ticket Prices; Magic Kingdom One-Day Entry At $105 For Ages 10 And Up

    Disney Raises Theme Park Ticket Prices; Magic Kingdom One-Day Entry At $105 For Ages 10 And Up
    LOS ANGELES — Visiting Mickey and Minnie just got more expensive. The Walt Disney Co. raised ticket prices to attend Disneyland, Walt Disney World and the rest of its U.S. theme parks, effective Sunday.

    Disney Raises Theme Park Ticket Prices; Magic Kingdom One-Day Entry At $105 For Ages 10 And Up

    How Many Remotes Do You Have? New Single Touch-Screen Device Controls TV With Just A Tap

    How Many Remotes Do You Have? New Single Touch-Screen Device Controls TV With Just A Tap
    SAN FRANCISCO — How many remotes does it take to watch television, stream Netflix or record your favourite show on DVR?

    How Many Remotes Do You Have? New Single Touch-Screen Device Controls TV With Just A Tap

    Pawscars Honour Top Animal Actors, Including Prolific Primate For Lifetime Achievement

    Pawscars Honour Top Animal Actors, Including Prolific Primate For Lifetime Achievement
    A monkey who's starred in 25 movies over two decades was top dog at the sixth annual Pawscars, the animal version of the Oscars. Waving a statue over her head in triumph, a beaming Crystal accepts the "lifetime diva achievement award" looking every bit the part in a pink, floor-length gown and necklace during the show streaming online Wednesday.

    Pawscars Honour Top Animal Actors, Including Prolific Primate For Lifetime Achievement

    'Indian Cuisine Is Pretty Big In Britain'

    'Indian Cuisine Is Pretty Big In Britain'
      She comes from a family of chefs and co-owns Southall-based Brilliant Restaurant that specialises in Punjabi cooking with a Kenyan twist. Dipna Anand, a London-based Indian chef, says the city has welcomed Indian curries with open arms.

    'Indian Cuisine Is Pretty Big In Britain'

    PrevNext