Facilitating conditions for staff’s confidence to enforce school tobacco policies: qualitative analysis from seven European cities
Abstract Background School staff members’ consistent enforcement of school tobacco policies (STPs) is needed to decrease adolescent smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke. Staff’s confidence, indicating their perceived ability to cope with students’ negative responses, explains variations in staff’s...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Implementation Science Communications |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s43058-022-00362-7 |
| _version_ | 1798029043351683072 |
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| author | Anu Linnansaari Michael Schreuders Anton E. Kunst SILNE-R -study group Pirjo Lindfors |
| author_facet | Anu Linnansaari Michael Schreuders Anton E. Kunst SILNE-R -study group Pirjo Lindfors |
| author_sort | Anu Linnansaari |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background School staff members’ consistent enforcement of school tobacco policies (STPs) is needed to decrease adolescent smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke. Staff’s confidence, indicating their perceived ability to cope with students’ negative responses, explains variations in staff’s STPs enforcement, yet understanding of the determinants for confidence is lacking. We analyzed the conditions in which the staff feel confident in addressing students who violate STPs to support staff’s enforcement. Methods Data consists of 81 semi-structured interviews with the staff members from 26 secondary schools in seven European cities in Belgium, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, and Portugal. In every city, 3–4 staff members (senior management, teachers, supportive staff) in 3–4 schools (academic–vocational, high–low SES area) were interviewed. Transcripts were analyzed with thematic analysis. Results When staff felt confident in their ability to prevent, diminish, or handle students’ negative responses, they were more likely to address students on STP violations. The staff was more confident (1) when consistent policy enforcement within school and regarding the wider society ensured staff legitimacy for STPs enforcement, (2) when dialog and mutual familiarity with students allowed the staff to facilitate constructive interaction with STP violators, and (3) when organizational backup structures provided staff collegial support to overcome challenges in the enforcement. These conditions would support consistent enforcement, especially with persistent misbehavers and among the more uncertain staff members. Conclusions Our study stresses the need to implement strategies at multiple levels to strengthen staff’s confidence for STP enforcement. To support staff’s legitimacy for enforcement, we suggest reinforcing structures and practices that facilitate consistency in STP enforcement; to support staff’s ability for constructive interaction with STP violators, we suggest strengthening staff’s social and emotional learning; and to support staff’s experience of collegial support, we suggest reinforcing staff’s collective ability to cope with students’ negative responses. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T19:18:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9161ff093fcb4244a420ae813ef0df3e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2662-2211 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T19:18:43Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Implementation Science Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-9161ff093fcb4244a420ae813ef0df3e2022-12-22T04:07:22ZengBMCImplementation Science Communications2662-22112022-10-013111010.1186/s43058-022-00362-7Facilitating conditions for staff’s confidence to enforce school tobacco policies: qualitative analysis from seven European citiesAnu Linnansaari0Michael Schreuders1Anton E. Kunst2SILNE-R -study groupPirjo Lindfors3Faculty of Social Sciences, Unit of Health Sciences, Tampere UniversityDepartment of Public Administration and Sociology, Erasmus School of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Erasmus University RotterdamDepartment of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health InstituteFaculty of Social Sciences, Unit of Health Sciences, Tampere UniversityAbstract Background School staff members’ consistent enforcement of school tobacco policies (STPs) is needed to decrease adolescent smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke. Staff’s confidence, indicating their perceived ability to cope with students’ negative responses, explains variations in staff’s STPs enforcement, yet understanding of the determinants for confidence is lacking. We analyzed the conditions in which the staff feel confident in addressing students who violate STPs to support staff’s enforcement. Methods Data consists of 81 semi-structured interviews with the staff members from 26 secondary schools in seven European cities in Belgium, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, and Portugal. In every city, 3–4 staff members (senior management, teachers, supportive staff) in 3–4 schools (academic–vocational, high–low SES area) were interviewed. Transcripts were analyzed with thematic analysis. Results When staff felt confident in their ability to prevent, diminish, or handle students’ negative responses, they were more likely to address students on STP violations. The staff was more confident (1) when consistent policy enforcement within school and regarding the wider society ensured staff legitimacy for STPs enforcement, (2) when dialog and mutual familiarity with students allowed the staff to facilitate constructive interaction with STP violators, and (3) when organizational backup structures provided staff collegial support to overcome challenges in the enforcement. These conditions would support consistent enforcement, especially with persistent misbehavers and among the more uncertain staff members. Conclusions Our study stresses the need to implement strategies at multiple levels to strengthen staff’s confidence for STP enforcement. To support staff’s legitimacy for enforcement, we suggest reinforcing structures and practices that facilitate consistency in STP enforcement; to support staff’s ability for constructive interaction with STP violators, we suggest strengthening staff’s social and emotional learning; and to support staff’s experience of collegial support, we suggest reinforcing staff’s collective ability to cope with students’ negative responses.https://doi.org/10.1186/s43058-022-00362-7School tobacco policiesSmoke-free school policiesImplementationPolicy implementationTobacco preventionHealth promotion |
| spellingShingle | Anu Linnansaari Michael Schreuders Anton E. Kunst SILNE-R -study group Pirjo Lindfors Facilitating conditions for staff’s confidence to enforce school tobacco policies: qualitative analysis from seven European cities Implementation Science Communications School tobacco policies Smoke-free school policies Implementation Policy implementation Tobacco prevention Health promotion |
| title | Facilitating conditions for staff’s confidence to enforce school tobacco policies: qualitative analysis from seven European cities |
| title_full | Facilitating conditions for staff’s confidence to enforce school tobacco policies: qualitative analysis from seven European cities |
| title_fullStr | Facilitating conditions for staff’s confidence to enforce school tobacco policies: qualitative analysis from seven European cities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Facilitating conditions for staff’s confidence to enforce school tobacco policies: qualitative analysis from seven European cities |
| title_short | Facilitating conditions for staff’s confidence to enforce school tobacco policies: qualitative analysis from seven European cities |
| title_sort | facilitating conditions for staff s confidence to enforce school tobacco policies qualitative analysis from seven european cities |
| topic | School tobacco policies Smoke-free school policies Implementation Policy implementation Tobacco prevention Health promotion |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s43058-022-00362-7 |
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