Determinant factors of smoking cessation during pregnancy

BACKGROUND: To investigate sociodemographic factors and smoking habit chara cteristics associated with spontaneous smoking cessation during pregnancy. DESIGN:. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Gross-sectional study including 726 pregnant smoking women who attended the antenatal clinic of the Vall d'Hebron University Hos pital in Barcelona between July and December 1997 and who agreed to partici pate were studied. Information was obtained by a structured questionnaire w hich included items on age, educational level, marital status, previous and current smoking habit, partner smoking habit and partner's attitude toward s the smoking habit of the pregnant woman. RESULTS: At the first antenatal visit, 19.7% of women had given up smoking spontaneously. Light smokers (between 1 and 9 daily cigarettes; OR = 4.74) or moderate smokers (between 10 and 19 daily cigarettes; OR = 2.20) were mo re likely to stop smoking compared to heavy smokers (more than 20 daily cig arettes). If the partner did not smoke, smoking cessation was more likely a mong pregnant women (OR = 1.78). At the first antenatal visit, among those women who carried on smoking during pregnancy, there was a significative re duction in cigarette consumption of about half the usual daily number of ci garettes smoked. CONCLUSIONS: One out of five pregnant women give up smoking spontaneously d uring pregnancy from the moment they know they were pregnant until the firs t antenatal visit. Women who are less likely to stop smoking during pregnan cy are those who smoke a larger number of cigarettes. Family environment is an important influential factor in the smoking habit of the pregnant woman .