Investigating the Experiences and Perceptions of Women Toward Hookah Cessation Strategies: A Qualitative Study in Bandar Abbas City, Iran

Background: This study explains the beliefs of female hookah smokers regarding the effective strategies for hookah smoking cessation in Bandar Abbas City, Iran. Materials and Methods: This qualitative research was conducted in May-September ۲۰۲۱ based on the contractual content analysis approach. The participants were women living in Bandar Abbas City, Iran, who were invited in a purposeful way to participate in a semi-structured interview. The data were recorded, transcribed, and then analyzed. The interview continued until data saturation. The MAXQDA software version ۱۰ was used for data management. Results: Interviews were conducted with ۴۱ participants (۲۱ women with a history of unsuccessful quitting and ۲۰ women with a history of successful quitting based on their ` reports). In total, ۲ main classes of support services at different levels and information support were extracted. Also, ۹ sub-classes were extracted. Conclusion: Effective strategies in hookah smoking cessation is a multi-dimensional and extensive issue. Effective interventions to prevent, control, and effectively reduce hookah smoking can have favorable results if they focus on strategies at all individual, interpersonal, and social levels.