Problem of Smoking in Teenagers
Adolescence is a difficult and sensitive period during which the body transforms, and the neocortex of a teenage brain undergoes maturation. These changes in their organism often alter a temper and increase risky behavior (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2016). For example, many teenagers start to try smoking, alcohol, or illicit drugs (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2016). Indeed, adolescent smoking is a growing problem within our community that requires professional intervention. For example, motivational interviewing is an effective way to inform, identify barriers, and set goals for behavioral change in a person (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2016). Therefore, it is essential to design a study that will identify teenagers who smoke or are at risk to develop this habit and encourage them to a healthier lifestyle.
Conducting a study requires a thorough design and preparation to obtain accurate data and achieve established goals. Specifically, to decrease the incidence of smoking among adolescents, a one-group time-series design can be utilized because this study does not require the control group. This type of study belongs to a group of quasi-experimental methods (Schmidt & Brown, 2019). First, an anonymous online survey will be conducted in our community among teenagers to reveal the accurate prevalence of smoking in this population. Then, all adolescents will receive an e-mail or phone call to be recruited for the smoking cessation study. Each participant will have three months of private consultations with a health practitioner who will conduct a motivational interview to encourage behavioral change. Moreover, all teenagers who agree to involve in this experiment will receive complimentary one-year access to a fitness center. The survey should also be performed among teenagers after the completion of this study to determine its effectiveness.
References
Schmidt, N.A., & Brown, J. M. (2019). Evidence-based practice for nurses (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2016). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community (9th ed.). Elsevier Mosby.