SMOKING IN URBAN PREGNANT-WOMEN IN SOUTH-AFRICA

Aim. To estimate the exposure to active and passive smoking of pregnan t women in South Africa and to determine their knowledge and behaviour with regard to smoking during pregnancy. Methods. A questionnaire was completed by pregnant women attending antenatal services in four Sout h African cities, Questions were asked about smoking status, beliefs o n the health effects of tobacco smoke during pregnancy, exposure to pa ssive smoking and behavioural changes with regard to smoking during pr egnancy. Women from different ethnic groups and social classes partici pated. Results. The study population was 394 pregnant women. Of these 42% were black, 29% coloured and 10% Indian women, who used public ant enatal services, and 19% were pregnant women (ethnicity unspecified) w ho attended private obstetric practices, Of the coloured women, 47% sm oked; for the black and Indian women and those who attended a private practice, the smoking rates were 4%, 3% and 28%, respectively. Approxi mately 90% of the pregnant women knew it was unhealthy to smoke during pregnancy. Most women who smoked stopped or reduced tobacco use durin g their pregnancy. Of the pregnant women, 70% lived with at least one smoker in the house. Conclusions. Few black and Indian pregnant women in South Africa smoke, while coloured pregnant women smoke heavily, Qu itting programmes should be targeted at them when they attend antenata l services, Pregnant women and their families should be alerted to the impact of environmental tobacco smoke, since so many are passive smok ers during pregnancy.