Rethinking Smoking and Quitting in Low-Income Contexts: A Qualitative Analysis with Implications for Practice and Policy

Dr. Cano’s research reexamines smoking and quitting behaviors in low-income populations, where tobacco use remains disproportionately high despite overall declines. Through in-depth qualitative interviews, her team identified a complex interplay of social, environmental, and personal factors that shape smoking behaviors, including competing health priorities, structural barriers to quitting, and the role of smoking as a temporary coping mechanism. [Read more…] The study highlights that many individuals are “caught between” the desire to improve their health and the realities of daily stressors, revealing why traditional, one-size-fits-all cessation approaches often fall short.

This work underscores the need to shift from standardized interventions toward more person-centered, context-sensitive strategies that reflect individuals’ lived experiences. Dr. Cano emphasizes that effective cessation efforts must integrate empathy, flexibility, and community-informed approaches, while also addressing broader social determinants of health. By reframing smoking not simply as an individual behavior but as a response to complex life circumstances, this project offers important implications for both clinical practice and public health policy aimed at reducing health disparities.

Publication: Cano MT, Rojas Perez OF, Reyes S, Pineda B, Muñoz RF. Rethinking smoking and quitting in low-income contexts: a qualitative analysis with implications for practice and policy. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2025;22:1122. doi: 10.3390/ijerph22071122.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health | An Interview with the Author—Dr. Monique T. Cano: https://www.mdpi.com/news/13220