Socio-demographic factors associated with smoking and smoking cessation among 426,344 pregnant women in New South Wales, Australia.
BACKGROUND
This study explores the socio-demographic characteristics of pregnant women who continue to smoke during the pregnancy, and identifies the characteristics of the smokers who were likely to quit smoking during the pregnancy period.


METHODS
This was secondary analysis of the New South Wales (NSW) Midwives Data Collection (MDC) 1999-2003, a surveillance system covering all births in NSW public and private hospitals, as well as home births. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to explore the associations between socio-demographic characteristics and smoking behaviour during pregnancy.


RESULTS
Data from 426,344 pregnant women in NSW showed that 17.0% continued to smoke during pregnancy. The smoking rate was higher among teenage mothers, those with an Aboriginal (indigenous) background, and lower among more affluent and overseas-born mothers. This study also found that unbooked confinements, and lack of antenatal care in the first trimester were strongly associated with increased risk of smoking during pregnancy. About 4.0% of the smoking women reported they may quit smoking during their pregnancy. Findings showed that mothers born overseas, of higher socio-economic status, first time mothers and those who attended antenatal care early showed an increased likelihood of smoking cessation during pregnancy. Those who were heavy smokers were less likely to quit during pregnancy.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the prevalence of smoking during pregnancy has been declining, it remains a significant public health concern. Smoking cessation programs should target the population subgroups of women at highest risk of smoking and who are least likely to quit. Effective antismoking interventions could reduce the obstetric and perinatal complications of smoking in pregnancy.
Mohsin
Mohammed
M
Centre for Research, Evidence Management & Surveillance, Division of Population Health, Sydney South West Area Health Service, Liverpool BC, NSW 1871, Australia. m.mohsin@unsw.edu.au
Bauman
Adrian E
AE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008880:Midwifery; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000208:ethnology; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012923:Social Class