109

Learning Objective #1: describe a method of qualitative inquiry to develop understanding of a phenomenon.

Learning Objective #2: describe concepts comprising helping relationships for smoking cessation.

---

This study will follow up on findings from a study of an intervention using a helping relationship from a smoker’s social network to promote smoking cessation. The findings did not show the anticipated positive effect of the helping relationship on smoking cessation once co-variates were accounted for. There may be unknown variables that were not measured. We do not have a good measure of helping relationships for smoking cessation. By understanding this phenomenon better, we could design more effective interventions. Because informal helping relationships are free, easily accessible and acceptable, their potential remains untapped. Therefore, this study used grounded theory to analyze the concept of a helping relationship for smoking cessation. Grounded theory is a qualitative method, where data are words not numbers. This method allows exploration of the meaning of the phenomenon. Interviews with former smokers were audio-taped, transcribed and analyzed for themes and categories that explain the phenomenon. Purposive and theoretical sampling was used. Samples for qualitative studies are typically small; an N of 20 was anticipated, but sampling continues until data reaches saturation. The outcome is development of the concept helping relationships for smoking cessation.