A Cross-Section Study of Relationship Characteristics and Smoking Cessation During Pregnancy in a Sample of Romanian Pregnant Women

Partner-Support and Gestational Duration Among Pregnant Women Who Smoke

INTRODUCTION

Pregnant women who smoke are at a high risk of preterm birth (PTB) and have low partner-support. In a prospective cohort study, we aimed to examine the role of partner-support in gestational duration and PTB among pregnant women who smoke as well as the interaction with race/ethnicity.

METHODS

We analyzed secondary data of 53 participants from the University at Buffalo Pregnancy and Smoking Cessation Study. Partner-support was measured with Turner's support scale where women reported how much they agreed with five statements about how supportive their partner was. Total partner-support was calculated and split into emotional support and accountability. We fit multivariable linear regression models and log-binomial regression models for gestational duration and PTB, respectively.

RESULTS

Gestational duration significantly increased with partner-support (0.22 weeks longer per unit increment in partner-support score), emotional support (0.52 weeks), and accountability (0.35 weeks). This association tended to be stronger among Hispanics and women of other races than non-Hispanic Caucasians and African Americans. Women with a bed partner had 1.48 weeks longer gestational duration than women without a bed partner.

DISCUSSION

Partner-support may increase gestational duration and reduce PTB risk among pregnant women who smoke, especially among Hispanic women. Sharing a bed with a partner was associated with a longer gestational duration. Our findings may be interpreted with caution due to limitations such as small sample size, recruitment within a single metropolitan area, and partner-support measurement via maternal reports only. A partner-support intervention to increase gestational duration is warranted.

Identification of the Obstetric Factors Increasing Tendency to Smoking Cessation During Pregnancy

INTRODUCTION

Cigarette, one of the various forms of tobacco, is the most commonly used tobacco product in Turkey and in the world. Cigarette has several negative effects on general health and is a major problem in the pregnancy period. This study aims to identify pregnancy-related factors that affect the tendency to smoking cessation and their effect levels in pregnant women who continue to smoke during pregnancy.

METHOD

The sample of this descriptive and cross-sectional study was 430 pregnant women who smoked. Data were collected through an original interview form and face-to-face interviews. Data analysis was performed using chi-square, independent t test, and multiple logistic regression model in terms of demographic, obstetric, maternal, and fetal features.

RESULTS

The average number of cigarettes smoked before pregnancy was 13.28 ± 8.62, whereas the average number of cigarettes smoked during pregnancy was 6.60 ± 7.64. The tendency to decrease smoking increases 2.8 times ( OR = 2.825, 95% CI [1.631, 4.895]) with the number of pregnancies and approximately 2 times in case of a planned pregnancy ( OR = 1.946, 95% CI [1.076, 3.520]). The frequency of having prenatal visits showed a weak but significant relationship with the number of abortuses and the number of living children.

CONCLUSIONS

Developing a risk map in line with the findings of the study and considering the obstetric features of smoking women could enable to hypothesize about the types of behaviors in smoking in the following processes of pregnancy. With the precautions to be taken, the negative effects of smoking on maternal and fetal health could be prevented or minimized.

Perceived safety of smoking a few cigarettes during pregnancy and provider advice in a sample of pregnant smokers from Romania

AIMS

To assess the prevalence of the perceived safety of smoking a few (generally fewer than five per day) cigarettes during pregnancy and identify associated factors in a sample of pregnant smokers in Romania, a middle-income country.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Cross-sectional design with a convenience sample using a polled data set collected between 2016 and 2019 in the formative and baseline phases of the Quit Together randomized control trial (RCT) in Romania. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered by research assistants in clinics in the formative phase and self-administered through the study website at the RCT baseline.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 217 pregnant smokers (mean age = 28.5 ± 5.8) enrolled in the formative and RCT phases of the research project.

MEASUREMENTS

The main outcome was the perceived safety of smoking a few cigarettes during pregnancy (generally fewer than five per day). Covariates included the health-care providers' advice towards smoking tobacco cigarettes during pregnancy, socio-demographics, the presence of depression and anxiety symptoms and level of nicotine dependence.

FINDINGS

More than 35% of participants agreed that smoking a few cigarettes during pregnancy was safe for them and their baby. The perceived safety of smoking a few cigarettes during pregnancy was significantly associated with being told by health-care providers that it is acceptable to continue to smoke cigarettes in small amounts [odds ratio (OR) = 3.08; 95% CI = 1.35-6.99; P < 0.01], perceived harm reduction of smoking light cigarettes (OR = 2.67; 95% CI = 1.19-5.97; P = 0.02) and moderate to severe depression and anxiety score (OR = 0.34; 95% CI = 0.13-0.84; P = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

More than one-third of pregnant Romanian women appear to believe that smoking 'a few' cigarettes during pregnancy is safe for them and their fetuses. Those who are told by their health-care providers that it is acceptable to smoke in small amounts during pregnancy have higher odds of perceiving smoking 'a few' cigarettes during pregnancy as safe compared with other pregnant Romanian women.