Michael Ussher
Biographic Data
| ID | 5421876 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Michael Ussher |
| GIVEN NAMES | Michael |
| FAMILY NAME | Ussher |
| SIGNATURE | USSHER M |
| AFFILIATIONS | St George's, University of London |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-0995-7955 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 32 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 1 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 32 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2003 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
A qualitative evaluation of a novel mHealth physical activity intervention with just-in-time prompts in people living with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes
Background Physical inactivity and prolonged sitting are major risk factors for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Despite this, individuals with prediabetes and T2DM often face challenges in maintaining adequate physical activity. The ENERGISED trial aimed to address this by using a mobile health (mHealth) intervention combining wearable Fitbit devices, just-in-time context-sensitive text messages (JITAI), and telephone counselling, tailore…
Participatory development of an mHealth intervention delivered in general practice to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour of patients with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (Energi…
The participatory development of the ENERGISED mHealth intervention, incorporating just-in-time prompts, has the potential to significantly enhance the capacity of general practitioners for personalised behavioural counselling on physical activity in (pre)diabetes patients, with implications for broader applications in primary care
Identifying barriers and facilitators to increase fibre intakes in UK primary school children and exploring the acceptability of intervention components
Objective: Within the UK, dietary fibre intakes are well below recommended intakes and associated with increased risk of obesity. This study aimed to explore the views of parents and children on barriers and facilitators to increasing fibre intakes and improving diets, alongside investigating the appropriateness of intervention components to overcome modifiable barriers. Design: Qualitative study including semi-structured interviews and focus gro…
Predictors of engagement with peer support
Background: A range of evidence for the effectiveness of one-to-one peer support in mental health services is emerging. Levels of engagement with peer support vary with limited studies showing few individual participant characteristics predicting engagement. Implementation factors that might predict engagement have not been considered. Methods: Data were analysed from the intervention arm of the ENRICH trial of one-to-one peer support for dischar…
MHealth intervention delivered in general practice to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour of patients with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (Energised)
ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05351359, 28/04/2022)
Development of a Smoke-Free Home Intervention for Families of Babies Admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care
Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) have a disproportionately higher number of parents who smoke tobacco compared to the general population. A baby's NICU admission offers a unique time to prompt behaviour change, and to emphasise the dangerous health risks of environmental tobacco smoke exposure to vulnerable infants. We sought to explore the views of mothers, fathers, wider family members, and healthcare professionals to develop an interventi…
A Qualitative Study of Factors Influencing Adherence among Pregnant Women Taking Part in a Trial of E-Cigarettes for Smoking Cessation
Use of e-cigarettes (vaping) has potential to help pregnant women stop smoking. This study explored factors influencing adherence among participants in the vaping arm of the first trial of vaping for smoking cessation in pregnancy. We conducted semi-structured telephone interviews (n = 28) with women at three-months postpartum. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis, informed by the Theoretical-Domains Framework, Necessity-Concerns Fram…
Barriers and Facilitators to Staying Smoke-Free after Having a Baby, a Qualitative Study
Offers of support to stay smoke-free should continue throughout the postpartum and engage with partners or other household members who smoke. Reassuring women about the relative safety of nicotine replacement therapy and e-cigarettes by a health professional, particularly for those who are breastfeeding, could be beneficial
Addressing and Overcoming Barriers to E-Cigarette Use for Smoking Cessation in Pregnancy
E-cigarettes may have a role in supporting pregnant women who would otherwise smoke to stop smoking. The study aimed to understand pregnant women's vaping experiences, in particular how vaping to stop smoking is facilitated and how barriers to this are overcome. We conducted semi structured telephone interviews ( n = 15) with pregnant or postpartum women who vaped during pregnancy, either exclusively ( n = 10) or dual-used ( n = 5) (smoked and va…
Pregnant Smokers’ Experiences and Opinions of Techniques Aimed to Address Barriers and Facilitators to Smoking Cessation
Pregnant women experience certain barriers and facilitators (B&Fs) when trying to quit smoking. This study aimed to elicit women's views on techniques that could help overcome or enhance these. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 pregnant women who had experience of smoking during pregnancy. Participants were prompted to discuss experiences of B&Fs and give suggestions of techniques that could address these appropriately. A thematic…
Re-Configuring Identity Postpartum and Sustained Abstinence or Relapse to Tobacco Smoking
Relapse to smoking postpartum is a common and important public health problem. Difficulty in adjusting to a non-smoking identity is a key factor prompting relapse. However, postpartum relapse prevention interventions rarely focus upon offering support for identity change. We conducted an exploratory inductive analysis of a dataset from the Prevention of Return to Smoking Postpartum (PReS) study to understand identity constructs and experiences of…
Development of a Complex Intervention for the Maintenance of Postpartum Smoking Abstinence
Relapse to tobacco smoking for pregnant women who quit is a major public health problem. Evidence-based approaches to intervention are urgently required. This study aimed to develop an intervention to be integrated into existing healthcare. A mixed methods approach included a theory-driven systematic review identifying promising behaviour change techniques for targeting smoking relapse prevention, and qualitative focus groups and interviews with …
Attitudes to E-Cigarettes and Cessation Support for Pregnant Women from English Stop Smoking Services
Smoking in pregnancy remains a public health problem. In the UK e-cigarettes are the most popular aid to quitting smoking outside of pregnancy, but we don't know the extent of e-cigarette use in pregnancy or how English Stop Smoking Services (SSS) respond to pregnant women who vape. In 2015 we surveyed SSS managers about cessation support for pregnant women and responses to clients who vaped. Subsequently we interviewed a sub-sample of managers t…
Co-producing Randomized Controlled Trials
In the light of the declaration "Nothing about us without us" (Charlton, 2000), interest in co-production, and coproduced research is expanding. Good work has been done establishing principles for co-production (Hickey et al., 2018) and for good quality involvement (Involve, 2013; 4Pi, 2015) and describing how this works in practice in mental health research (Gillard et al., 2012a,b, 2013). In the published literature, co-production has worked we…
Improving Behavioral Support for Smoking Cessation in Pregnancy
Behavioral support interventions are used to help pregnant smokers stop; however, of those tested, few are proven effective. Systematic research developing effective pregnancy-specific behavior change techniques (BCTs) is ongoing. This paper reports contributory work identifying potentially-effective BCTs relative to known important barriers and facilitators (B&Fs) to smoking cessation in pregnancy; to detect priority areas for BCTs development. …
Interpreting population reach of a large, successful physical activity trial delivered through primary care
ISRCTN.com ISRCTN98538934 . Registered 2nd March 2012
Lessons learned from the London Exercise and Pregnant (Leap) Smokers randomised controlled trial process evaluation
ISRCTN48600346 , date of registration: 21/07/2008
Exercise to Support Indigenous Pregnant Women to Stop Smoking
Views on a brief mindfulness intervention among patients with long-term illness
A brief mindfulness intervention was well accepted among patients with long-term illness. The intervention may benefit by being lengthened and by offering further guidance on its use
Effect of a sport-for-health intervention (SmokeFree Sports) on smoking-related intentions and cognitions among 9-10 year old primary school children
SFS demonstrated short-term positive effects on smoking attitudes among children, and cigarette refusal self-efficacy among girls. Although no effects were observed for non-smoking intentions, children said that SFS made them more determined not to smoke. Most children had strong intentions not to smoke; therefore, smoking prevention programmes should perhaps target early adolescents, who are closer to the age of smoking onset
“It’s not just about walking…..it’s the practice nurse that makes it work”
PACE-Lift ISRCTN 42122561 , PACE-UP ISRCTN 98538934
Effect of Suppressing Thoughts of Desire to Smoke on Ratings of Desire to Smoke and Tobacco Withdrawal Symptoms
Studies indicate that while suppressing smoking thoughts increases subsequent smoking, it may have no impact on desire to smoke. However, previous research has examined suppression of general smoking thoughts rather than thoughts specifically related to desire to smoke. The present study investigated whether suppression of thoughts of desire to smoke results in subsequently elevated ratings of desire to smoke. An experimental study examined the e…
Process evaluation of a sport-for-health intervention to prevent smoking amongst primary school children
SFS was considered acceptable to children, teachers and coaches. Nevertheless, efforts to enhance intervention reach (at the school level), teachers' engagement and sustainability must be considered. Variations in dose and fidelity likely reflect challenges associated with complex intervention delivery within school settings and thus a flexible design may be necessary. This study adds to the limited scientific evidence base surrounding sport-for-…
Influence of family and friend smoking on intentions to smoke and smoking-related attitudes and refusal self-efficacy among 9–10 year old children from deprived neighbourhoods
This study indicates that sibling and friend smoking may represent important influences on 9-10 year old children's cognitive vulnerability toward smoking. Whilst some differential findings by gender were observed, these may not be sufficient to warrant separate prevention interventions. However, further research is needed
Numbers are not the whole story
ISRCTN98538934
Increase in common cold symptoms and mouth ulcers following smoking cessation
This is the first study to systematically document significant increases in cold symptoms and mouth ulcers following smoking cessation. Smokers should be informed that they have an increased chance of experiencing these symptoms on stopping smoking. Being psychologically prepared for these effects may reduce their impact on the attempt to stop smoking
Reduction in Cortisol After Smoking Cessation Among Users of Nicotine Patches
Objective: Cortisol has been shown to decline after stopping smoking and this decline has been associated with smoking relapse and with reports of increased withdrawal severity and distress. We examined whether a decrease in cortisol is evident in smokers trying to quit using nicotine patches and whether cortisol is related to withdrawal symptoms, smoking urges, subjective stress, nicotine dependence, and smoking relapse. Methods: Among 112 smoke…
A pilot randomised controlled trial of the feasibility of using body scan and isometric exercises for reducing urge to smoke in a smoking cessation clinic
Isometric exercises, and to a lesser extent body scan, were popular and perceived as somewhat helpful by quitters. The trial showed that these techniques were used and a larger trial could now be developed to examine the influence of the methods on reducing urges to smoke and increasing abstinence
Physical activity as an aid to smoking cessation during pregnancy
It is feasible to recruit pregnant smokers to a trial of physical activity for smoking cessation and this is likely to be popular. A large randomised controlled trial is needed to examine the efficacy of this intervention
Evaluation of a nationally disseminated self-help intervention for smoking cessation (‘Quit Kit’)
The findings suggest that distributing a self-help intervention for smoking cessation at a national level may be successful in terms of uptake of the intervention, triggering quit attempts and aiding smoking cessation
Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Patients with Schizophrenia Receiving Continuous Medical Care
Randomised controlled trial of a complex intervention by primary care nurses to increase walking in patients aged 60–74 years
ISRCTN42122561
Numbers are not the whole story
ISRCTN98538934
“It’s not just about walking…..it’s the practice nurse that makes it work”
PACE-Lift ISRCTN 42122561 , PACE-UP ISRCTN 98538934
Effect of Suppressing Thoughts of Desire to Smoke on Ratings of Desire to Smoke and Tobacco Withdrawal Symptoms
Studies indicate that while suppressing smoking thoughts increases subsequent smoking, it may have no impact on desire to smoke. However, previous research has examined suppression of general smoking thoughts rather than thoughts specifically related to desire to smoke. The present study investigated whether suppression of thoughts of desire to smoke results in subsequently elevated ratings of desire to smoke. An experimental study examined the e…
Process evaluation of a sport-for-health intervention to prevent smoking amongst primary school children
SFS was considered acceptable to children, teachers and coaches. Nevertheless, efforts to enhance intervention reach (at the school level), teachers' engagement and sustainability must be considered. Variations in dose and fidelity likely reflect challenges associated with complex intervention delivery within school settings and thus a flexible design may be necessary. This study adds to the limited scientific evidence base surrounding sport-for-…
Influence of family and friend smoking on intentions to smoke and smoking-related attitudes and refusal self-efficacy among 9–10 year old children from deprived neighbourhoods
This study indicates that sibling and friend smoking may represent important influences on 9-10 year old children's cognitive vulnerability toward smoking. Whilst some differential findings by gender were observed, these may not be sufficient to warrant separate prevention interventions. However, further research is needed
Views on a brief mindfulness intervention among patients with long-term illness
A brief mindfulness intervention was well accepted among patients with long-term illness. The intervention may benefit by being lengthened and by offering further guidance on its use
Effect of a sport-for-health intervention (SmokeFree Sports) on smoking-related intentions and cognitions among 9-10 year old primary school children
SFS demonstrated short-term positive effects on smoking attitudes among children, and cigarette refusal self-efficacy among girls. Although no effects were observed for non-smoking intentions, children said that SFS made them more determined not to smoke. Most children had strong intentions not to smoke; therefore, smoking prevention programmes should perhaps target early adolescents, who are closer to the age of smoking onset
Lessons learned from the London Exercise and Pregnant (Leap) Smokers randomised controlled trial process evaluation
ISRCTN48600346 , date of registration: 21/07/2008
Exercise to Support Indigenous Pregnant Women to Stop Smoking
Improving Behavioral Support for Smoking Cessation in Pregnancy
Behavioral support interventions are used to help pregnant smokers stop; however, of those tested, few are proven effective. Systematic research developing effective pregnancy-specific behavior change techniques (BCTs) is ongoing. This paper reports contributory work identifying potentially-effective BCTs relative to known important barriers and facilitators (B&Fs) to smoking cessation in pregnancy; to detect priority areas for BCTs development. …
Interpreting population reach of a large, successful physical activity trial delivered through primary care
ISRCTN.com ISRCTN98538934 . Registered 2nd March 2012
Pregnant Smokers’ Experiences and Opinions of Techniques Aimed to Address Barriers and Facilitators to Smoking Cessation
Pregnant women experience certain barriers and facilitators (B&Fs) when trying to quit smoking. This study aimed to elicit women's views on techniques that could help overcome or enhance these. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 pregnant women who had experience of smoking during pregnancy. Participants were prompted to discuss experiences of B&Fs and give suggestions of techniques that could address these appropriately. A thematic…
Re-Configuring Identity Postpartum and Sustained Abstinence or Relapse to Tobacco Smoking
Relapse to smoking postpartum is a common and important public health problem. Difficulty in adjusting to a non-smoking identity is a key factor prompting relapse. However, postpartum relapse prevention interventions rarely focus upon offering support for identity change. We conducted an exploratory inductive analysis of a dataset from the Prevention of Return to Smoking Postpartum (PReS) study to understand identity constructs and experiences of…
Development of a Complex Intervention for the Maintenance of Postpartum Smoking Abstinence
Relapse to tobacco smoking for pregnant women who quit is a major public health problem. Evidence-based approaches to intervention are urgently required. This study aimed to develop an intervention to be integrated into existing healthcare. A mixed methods approach included a theory-driven systematic review identifying promising behaviour change techniques for targeting smoking relapse prevention, and qualitative focus groups and interviews with …
Attitudes to E-Cigarettes and Cessation Support for Pregnant Women from English Stop Smoking Services
Smoking in pregnancy remains a public health problem. In the UK e-cigarettes are the most popular aid to quitting smoking outside of pregnancy, but we don't know the extent of e-cigarette use in pregnancy or how English Stop Smoking Services (SSS) respond to pregnant women who vape. In 2015 we surveyed SSS managers about cessation support for pregnant women and responses to clients who vaped. Subsequently we interviewed a sub-sample of managers t…
Co-producing Randomized Controlled Trials
In the light of the declaration "Nothing about us without us" (Charlton, 2000), interest in co-production, and coproduced research is expanding. Good work has been done establishing principles for co-production (Hickey et al., 2018) and for good quality involvement (Involve, 2013; 4Pi, 2015) and describing how this works in practice in mental health research (Gillard et al., 2012a,b, 2013). In the published literature, co-production has worked we…
Addressing and Overcoming Barriers to E-Cigarette Use for Smoking Cessation in Pregnancy
E-cigarettes may have a role in supporting pregnant women who would otherwise smoke to stop smoking. The study aimed to understand pregnant women's vaping experiences, in particular how vaping to stop smoking is facilitated and how barriers to this are overcome. We conducted semi structured telephone interviews ( n = 15) with pregnant or postpartum women who vaped during pregnancy, either exclusively ( n = 10) or dual-used ( n = 5) (smoked and va…
A Qualitative Study of Factors Influencing Adherence among Pregnant Women Taking Part in a Trial of E-Cigarettes for Smoking Cessation
Use of e-cigarettes (vaping) has potential to help pregnant women stop smoking. This study explored factors influencing adherence among participants in the vaping arm of the first trial of vaping for smoking cessation in pregnancy. We conducted semi-structured telephone interviews (n = 28) with women at three-months postpartum. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis, informed by the Theoretical-Domains Framework, Necessity-Concerns Fram…
Medicine (31 works) · Nursing (19 works) · Intervention (counseling (17 works) · Smoking Behavior and Cessation (16 works) · Psychiatry (15 works) · Public health (14 works) · Smoking cessation (14 works) · Family medicine (13 works) · Psychology (13 works) · Psychological intervention (12 works)