A video-based intervention to overcome pregnancy smoking stigma among healthcare students: a randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: This study tests a video intervention to reduce pregnancy smoking stigma among French healthcare students.

DESIGN: The participants were randomly selected to watch online either an experimental video (presenting educational content regarding stigma and contact with pregnant smokers) or a control video (presenting standard educational content about the risks of smoking). The students completed scales assessing stigma, intention to address smoking cessation and self-efficacy to do so, before the intervention (T0, n  = 252), one week after the intervention (T1, n  = 187), and one month after the intervention (T2, n  = 131).

RESULTS: Compared to the medical students, especially men, the midwifery students reported lower derogative cognitions (η2 p = .18), negative behaviours (η2 p = .07) and personal distress (η2 p = .06). However, the midwifery students also reported lower levels of intention to address smoking (η2 p = .02) than the medical students. The experimental video decreased derogative cognitions to a greater extent than the control video (η2 p = .23) in both the short and medium term. This study is the first intervention designed to reduce the stigmatisation of pregnant smokers by healthcare students. We recommend that the issue of stigma should receive more attention in the medical curriculum.