Abstract
Research has demonstrated that smoking during pregnancy has deleterious effects on the health of the unborn child as well as the mother. The present study examined whether pregnant smokers would have a greater intention to quit smoking, whether the stage of pregnancy would influence the intention to quit, and whether variables which have predicted cessation among pregnant smokers would also predict intention to quit. The results indicated that pregnant women did not have a significantly greater intention to quit smoking compared to nonpregnant smokers, despite the health risks to their child. Women who were further along in their pregnancy and women who smoked more cigarettes on a daily basis demonstrated the least intention to quit. Notably, women in the first trimester showed the greatest intention to quit, suggesting that pregnant women may be most receptive to quitting during their first trimester.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Benowitz, N. L. (1991). Nicotine replacement therapy during pregnancy.JAMA 266: 3174–3177.
Cnattingius, S., Lindmark, G., and Meirik, O. (1992). Who continues to smoke while pregnant?J. Epidemiol. Commun. Health 46: 219–221.
Gritz, E. R., Kristeller, J. L., and Burns, D. (1993). Treating nicotine addiction in high-risk groups and patients with medical comorbidity. In Orleans, C. T., and Slade, J. (eds.).Nicotine Addiction: Principles and Management, Oxford Press, New York, pp. 105–128.
Haug, K., Aaro, L. E., and Fugelli, P., (1992). Smoking habits in early pregnancy and attitudes towards smoking cessation among pregnant women and their partners.Family Pract. 9: 494–499.
Kandel, D. B., Wu, P., and Davies, M. (1994). Maternal smoking during pregnancy and smoking by adolescent daughters.Am. J. Public Health 84: 1407–1413.
Leftwich, M. J. T., and Collins, F. L., Jr. (1994). Parental smoking, depression, and child development: Persistent and unanswered questions.J. Pediat. Psychol. 19: 557–570.
Levy, M., and Koren, G. (1990). Obstetric and neonatal effects of drugs of abuse.Emerg. Med. Clin. North Am. 8: 633–651.
Naeye, R. L., and Peters, E. C. (1984). Mental development of children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy.J. Am. College Obst. Gynecol. 64: 601–607.
O'Campo, P., Faden, R. R., Brown, H., and Gielen, A. C. (1992). The impact of pregnancy on women's prenatal and postpartum smoking behavior.Am. J. Prev. Med. 8: 8–13.
Prochaska, J., Velicer, W., DiClemente, C., and Fava, J. (1988). Measuring processes of change: Applications to the cessation of smoking.J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 56: 520–528.
Quinn, V. P., Mullen, P. D., and Ershoff, D. H. (1991). Women who stop smoking spontaneously prior to prenatal care and predictors of relapse before delivery.Addict. Behav. 16: 29–40.
Ruggiero, L., Everett, K., Tsoh, J., Rossi, J., and Guise, B. J. (1992). Comparison of cognitive and behavioral contributors to smoking behavior in pregnant and nonpregnant women. Presented at the 26th Annual Convention of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, Boston, MA, Nov.
Sexton, M., Fox, N. L., and Hebel, J. R. (1990). Prenatal exposure to tobacco. II. Effects on cognitive functioning at age three.Int. J. Epidemiol. 19: 72–77.
Shopland, D. R., and Burns, D. M. (1993). Medical and public health implications of tobacco addiction. In Orleans, C. T., and Slade, J. (eds.),Nicotine Addiction: Principles and Management, Oxford Press, New York, pp. 105–128.
Tollestrup, K., Frost, F. J., and Starzyk, P. (1992). Smoking prevalence of pregnant women compared to women in the general population of Washington state.Am. J. Prev. Med. 8: 215–220.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) (1983).The health consequences of smoking: Cardiovascular disease: A report of the Surgeon General (DHHS Publication No. PHS 84-50204). U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) (1984).The health consequences of smoking: Chronic obstructive lung disease: A report of the Surgeon General (DHHS Publication No. PHS 84-50205), U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) (1988).The health consequences of smoking: A report of the Surgeon General (DHHS Publication No. CDC 88-8406), U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) (1989).Reducing the health consequences of smoking: 25 years of progress: A report of the Surgeon General (DHHS Publication No. CDC 89-8411). U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) (1990).The health benefits of smoking cessation: A report of the Surgeon General (DHHS Publication No. CDC 90-8416, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.
Wakefield, M., Gillies, P., Graham, R. M., and Symonds, M. (1993). Characteristics associated with smoking cessation during pregnancy among working class women.Addiction 88: 1423–1439.
Walsh, R. A. (1994). Effects of maternal smoking on adverse pregnancy outcomes: Examination of the criteria of causation.Hum. Biol. 66: 1059–1091.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hutchison, K.E., Stevens, V.M. & Collins, F.L. Cigarette smoking and the intention to quit among pregnant smokers. J Behav Med 19, 307–316 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01857771
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01857771