PREDICTORS OF SMOKING IN PREGNANCY AND ATTITUDES AND KNOWLEDGE OF RISKS OF PREGNANT SMOKERS

This study examined the prevalence and predictors of smoking by pregna nt women attending a public antenatal clinic. The prevalence of smokin g in this population (n=2577) was found to be 38.0% (95% CI 36.1-39.9% ), A review of previous research investigating variables associated wi th smoking in pregnancy indicated that only three of 42 studies had us ed multivariate analysis, Using step-wise logistic regression analysis , five variables were found to be independent predictors of smoking in pregnancy: education (having 4 years or less high school), marital st atus (being unmarried), gravidity (being multigravida), age (being und er 25 years) and language spoken at home (speaking English), The model correctly predicted 63.7% of cases, The knowledge and attitudes of pr egnant smokers were also investigated using data from a sub-sample of consenting subjects. Three-quarters of the women claimed that they had reduced their smoking since discovering they were pregnant. However, their mean intake of 13.7 cigarettes daily remained at a hazardous lev el, Approximately half(51%) these smokers claimed to have tried to qui t smoking in the current pregnancy, Most (61%) women said they believe d smoking was definitely harmful to the unborn child, However, awarene ss and acceptance of specific risks were inadequate, Of the women in a current relationship, 72% said their partner was a regular smoker, Le ss than half(45%) the continuing smokers who had seen a doctor about t heir current pregnancy could recall being advised to stop smoking, The re is a need for health care providers to adopt a more systematic and tailored approach to smoking cessation counselling, Efforts to convert quit attempts in pregnancy into sustained cessation represent a prior ity area of programme development and evaluation.