The experience of continued smoking after stroke in Korean males: A qualitative study

AIM: This study aimed to identify the nature and meaning of continued smoking in male stroke patients based on a deep understanding of their lived experiences. DESIGN: Phenomenological qualitative methodology. METHODS: In total, 10 male stroke patients participated in this study. We used purposive sampling for recruitment. Data collection was performed through in‐depth interviews and analysis through van Manen's methodology. RESULTS: Five essential themes were derived from the analyses and described participants’ experiences with continued smoking, as follows: “Natural relapse into smoking,” “Behaving like a healthy person,” “Believing that smoking will not be a problem,” “Finding consolation in smoking behaviour,” and “Consoling oneself by the rationalization of smoking behaviour.” CONCLUSION: The results showcased the need for the development of a smoking cessation educational programme tailored for male stroke patients who have perceptions towards being “like healthy people” after early recovery and who think that smoking is not a problematic behaviour. Participants’ reports underpinned the necessity for these programmes to have contents focused on the transformation of patients’ awareness toward their own health status.