A reexamination of smoking before, during, and after pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
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.
Kahn
Robert S
RS
Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA. robert.kahn@chmcc.org
Certain
Laura
L
Whitaker
Robert C
RC
D000328:Adult; D040343:Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011336:Probability; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology