Cognitive and social influences on smoking behaviour during pregnancy

A random sample of 292 women attending a hospital antenatal clinic for routine care was surveyed concerning smoking behaviour and beliefs about smoking in pregnancy. Among women who continued to smoke during their pregnancy, most had cut down. Many expressed a desire to quit, felt guilty about not being able to do so, but reported that smoking offered important benefits relating to relaxation and mood control. Forty (27.8%) of the 144 women who were smokers at the time they became pregnant had quit during pregnancy. In a multivariate analysis, a nonsmoking household, and being more convinced about the health effects of maternal smoking, were most strongly associated with successful cessation. These 2 variables alone were able to correctly classify 83.8% of women as quitters or continuing smokers. Implications for health promotion programmes and messages are discussed.