Which mothers smoke before, during and after pregnancy?

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Maternal and Child Health
• Addiction Research

Background:

• Maternal smoking during pregnancy poses significant risks to infant health.
• Understanding sociodemographic factors influencing smoking is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sociodemographic factors associated with cigarette smoking in women before, during, and after pregnancy.
• To identify predictors of maternal smoking across the perinatal period.

Main Methods:

• A 12-month longitudinal study involving 587 mothers at two public maternity hospitals in Perth, Australia.
• Data collected via baseline questionnaires and follow-up telephone interviews up to 52 weeks postpartum.
• Included sociodemographic, biomedical, hospital-related, and psychosocial factors.

Main Results:

• 39% of mothers smoked pre-pregnancy.
• Pre-pregnancy smoking associated with partner smoking, alcohol consumption, and not attending antenatal classes.
• Partner smoking during pregnancy remained associated with maternal smoking antenatally and postnatally.
• Caucasian origin and low infant feeding attitude scores linked to postnatal smoking.

Conclusions:

• Partner smoking and maternal alcohol consumption are key predictors of pre-pregnancy smoking.
• Positive breastfeeding intentions and antenatal class attendance are associated with reduced prenatal smoking.
• Identifying women at risk for smoking requires consideration of partner behaviors, alcohol use, and breastfeeding attitudes.