Partner support for smoking cessation during pregnancy: a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Reproductive Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Pregnancy presents a critical opportunity to address smoking behaviors in both expectant mothers and their partners.
• Partner smoking status and support significantly influence a pregnant woman's smoking reduction or cessation efforts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review interventions aimed at enhancing partner support for smoking cessation in pregnant/postpartum women.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of cessation treatments specifically targeting partners of pregnant/postpartum women.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature review identified 855 unique references, from which 9 intervention studies were selected for analysis.
• Interventions included mass media, counseling, nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs), and partner-specific educational materials.

Main Results:

• One study showed positive results for a partner-targeted intervention, but overall, most studies found no significant effect on pregnant women's smoking cessation.
• Interventions for male partners, including NRTs and counseling, showed some effectiveness but may not yield sustainable postpartum quit rates.
• Seven studies reported no impact on partner smoking cessation.

Conclusions:

• There is a significant gap in effective smoking cessation interventions that incorporate or target male partners of pregnant/postpartum women.
• Further research and intervention development are crucial to establish the utility of partner-inclusive approaches for smoking cessation in this population.