[Evolution of tobacco habits during pregnancy and postpartum period].

OBJECTIVE

To describe how smoking evolved during pregnancy and a long postpartum period, with analysis of the factors associated with giving up tobacco.

DESIGN

Retrospective, descriptive study.

SETTING

Badia del Vallès Primary Care Centre (Barcelona).

PARTICIPANTS

Women with pregnancies coming to term over a 3-year period (n=309, 68% of the target population).

MAIN MEASUREMENTS

Tobacco dependency before pregnancy. Giving up during pregnancy and related factors (social and personal, nature of tobacco habit, health beliefs). Backsliding after birth.

RESULTS

50% smoked before pregnancy. 46% of these gave up smoking during pregnancy and 44% cut down. In primigravidae, there was greater risk of their continuing to smoke, the greater their previous tobacco consumption was (OR=5.3 if > or =20 cigarettes a day and OR=4.7 for 10-19 cigarettes a day) or if they did not believe in the effect of tobacco on the baby's health (OR=3.9). In women pregnant for the second time or more, it was associated with not giving up tobacco in previous pregnancies (OR=43.8) and with their partner's tobacco habit (OR=7.2). In the 2 years after birth 80% of those who gave up relapsed.

CONCLUSIONS

In our milieu a high prevalence of smokers before pregnancy coexists with a high rate of giving up during pregnancy. In all, 1 in every 4 women smokes during pregnancy. Giving up tobacco was related to factors such as dependency, motivation, environment and prior experience.