Financial Rewards for Smoking Cessation During Pregnancy and Birth Weight: A Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Maternal and Child Health
• Behavioral Economics

Background:

• Smoking during pregnancy is a major risk factor for adverse birth outcomes.
• Financial incentives have shown promise in increasing smoking cessation rates among pregnant women.
• Birth weight is a critical indicator of neonatal health, independent of smoking cessation measurement methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of financial rewards on birth weight in pregnant smokers.
• To quantify the change in birth weight associated with smoking cessation interventions.
• To assess the effectiveness of incentives for improving infant health outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was conducted.
• Searches included major databases (Medline, PsycInfo, Embase, Cochrane) up to December 2023.
• Data were analyzed using fixed-effects and random-effects models following PRISMA guidelines.

Main Results:

• Offering financial rewards for smoking cessation was associated with a statistically significant mean increase in birth weight of 46.30 g.
• An analysis of women who quit due to rewards showed a larger, though not statistically significant, mean increase of 206.00 g.
• A reduction in newborns being small for gestational age was observed when cessation was linked to rewards.

Conclusions:

• Financial incentives contingent on smoking cessation are effective in increasing birth weight among pregnant women.
• These findings support the cost-effectiveness of incentive-based smoking cessation programs in prenatal care.
• Interventions using financial rewards can contribute to improved infant health outcomes.