A couple-focused intervention to prevent postnatal smoking relapse: PRISM study design

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Obstetrics
• Addiction Medicine

Background:

• Maternal smoking poses significant risks to fetal and family health.
• Effective interventions for pregnant smokers, especially those involving partner support, are limited.
• The PRISM study addresses this gap by evaluating a couple-focused smoking cessation program.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy of a couple-focused telephone-counseling program in preventing smoking relapse among mothers post-childbirth.
• To evaluate the impact of partner support on maternal smoking abstinence.
• To identify strategies for reducing postnatal smoking relapse and increasing partner cessation.

Main Methods:

• An ongoing randomized controlled trial involving 250 Romanian women who quit smoking prior to or during early pregnancy.
• Participants were randomized to either usual care or an intervention group receiving up to four postnatal motivational interviewing calls for mother-partners.
• The primary outcome measured is biochemically verified maternal smoking abstinence at 6 months postpartum.

Main Results:

• Data collection and analysis are ongoing.
• Preliminary findings are anticipated to guide future smoking cessation strategies.
• Biochemical verification ensures accurate assessment of smoking abstinence.

Conclusions:

• The PRISM program shows potential for reducing maternal postnatal smoking relapse and increasing partner cessation.
• Successful implementation could lead to improved maternal and child health outcomes.
• This approach may offer an effective strategy for long-term smoking prevention within families.