Smoking during pregnancy, stigma and secrets: Visual methods exploration in the UK

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Public Health
• Maternal Health

Background:

• Societal moral judgments often target mothers' health behaviors during pregnancy.
• Working-class mothers face particular scrutiny regarding their health choices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To understand the health issues of 10 low-income pregnant women in deprived areas of South Wales, UK.
• To explore the lived experiences and health concerns of vulnerable pregnant populations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized visual activities (timelines, collaging, thought bubbles) to guide 28 semi-structured interviews with 10 women.
• Employed feminist principles and thematic analysis for data interpretation.
• Visual representations replaced traditional topic guides to center participants' perspectives.

Main Results:

• Smoking during pregnancy was a prominent theme, with five participants reporting smoking.
• Public disapproval led to private smoking behaviors among participants.
• Participants experienced judgmental interactions with healthcare professionals regarding smoking.

Conclusions:

• Smoking in pregnancy is highly stigmatized, often reflecting moral judgments on women rather than solely fetal risk.
• Stigma from social circles and healthcare providers contributes to hidden smoking, impeding access to evidence-based cessation support.
• A shift towards socio-ecological perspectives is needed to avoid victim-blaming and support pregnant smokers effectively.