SMOKING AND PREGNANCY - A COMPARISON OF MEXICAN-AMERICAN AND NON-HISPANIC WHITE WOMEN

Objective: To describe ethnic differences in tobacco use during pregna ncy in a clinical population of Mexican-American and non-Hispanic whit e women. Methods: Subjects were randomly selected from all patients at tending a university-based obstetrics clinic in Tucson, Arizona. Of 55 5 subjects selected, 367 were interviewed and had their urinary cotini ne levels measured. The 37 subjects who refused an interview and the 1 36 who were selected but not interviewed did not differ from other sub jects regarding ethnicity, education, obstetric history, or smoking st atus. The interviewer gathered standard demographic and obstetric info rmation as well as data on smoking behavior. Subjects were interviewed in Spanish or English by a bilingual interviewer using a standardized questionnaire. Statistical techniques included chi(2) test, t test, a nd logistic regression. Results: The odds for Mexican-American women t o have been smokers were 3.39 times lower than for non-Hispanic white women. The odds of quitting during pregnancy were 4.71 times higher fo r Mexican-Americans (95% confidence interval 1.66-13.38). Urinary coti nine values verified the latter rates. Mexican-American smokers report ed smoking significantly fewer cigarettes than non-Hispanic white wome n (t = 2.34, P < .05). Conclusions: In comparing Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white women, we found marked differences in smoking behav ior during pregnancy. Mexican-Americans were nearly three times more l ikely to quit than non-Hispanic whites, and those who continued to smo ke showed greater reductions in cigarettes per day. These results show behavioral changes in Mexican-Americans during pregnancy that meaning fully alter the risk profile for the fetus. Understanding the basis fo r this behavioral change may facilitate the development of preventive measures for other ethnic groups.