title: Smoking among low-income pregnant women: an ethnographic analysis.
abstract: This article presents findings from a qualitative study of 53 low-income women who were smokers at the onset of pregnancy. Study participants were interviewed during pregnancy to document smoking trajectories and factors contributing to, or undermining, harm reduction and quit attempts. Thirty percent of women quit smoking completely, 43% engaged in sustained harm reduction, and 26% reduced their smoking levels intermittently. Case studies of women are presented to illustrate reasons for quitting, harm reduction practices, and factors influencing relapse and smoking continuation. Women's motivations to quit are highlighted. Moral identity as a mother was found to be a key motivating factor behind women's quit attempts. Future programs targeting this population would do well to acknowledge moral identity as an issue and recognize the challenges of quitting for women with limited social support and little control over their immediate environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. mimin@u.arizona.edu
authors.forename: Mimi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nichter
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nichter
authors.forename: Myra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muramoto
authors.forename: Shelly
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Adrian
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goldade
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tesler
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000884:Anthropology, Cultural; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009014:Morals; D009042:Motivation; D011203:Poverty / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011247:Pregnancy; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors