CIGARETTE-SMOKING AND THE INTENTION TO QUIT AMONG PREGNANT SMOKERS

Research has demonstrated that smoking during pregnancy has deleteriou s effects on the health of the unborn child as well as the mother The present study examined whether pregnant smokers would have a greater i ntention to quit smoking, whether the stage of pregnancy would influen ce the intention to quit, and whether variables which have predicted c essation among pregnant smokers would also predict intention to quit. The results indicated that pregnant women did not have a significantly greater intention to quit smoking compared to nonpregnant smokers, de spite the health risks to their child. Women who were further along in their pregnancy and women who smoked more cigarettes on a daily basis demonstrated the least intention to quit. Notably, women in the first trimester showed the greatest intention to quit, suggesting that preg nant women may be most receptive to quitting during their first trimes ter.