Kahn RS, Certain L, Whitaker RC. A reexamination of smoking before, during, and after pregnancy.
Am J Public Health 2002;
92:1801-8. [PMID:
12406812 PMCID:
PMC1447332 DOI:
10.2105/ajph.92.11.1801]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
This study examined the patterns and correlates of maternal smoking before, during, and after pregnancy.
METHODS
We examined socioeconomic, demographic, and clinical risk factors associated with maternal smoking in a nationally representative cohort of women (n = 8285) who were surveyed 17 +/- 5 months and again 35 +/- 5 months after delivery.
RESULTS
Smoking rates among women with a college degree decreased 30% from before pregnancy to 35 months postpartum but did not change among the least educated women. Risk factors clustered, and a gradient linked the number of risk factors (0, 2, 4) to the percentage smoking (6%, 31%, 58%, P <.0001).
CONCLUSIONS
The period of pregnancy and early parenthood is associated with worsening education-related disparities in smoking as well as substantial clustering of risk factors. These observations could influence the targeting and design of maternal smoking interventions.
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