Smoking and harm-reduction efforts among postpartum women.
The authors present findings from a qualitative study on postpartum smoking among low-income women ( N = 44) who had been smokers at the onset of pregnancy. Interview data collected after delivery at Months 1, 3, and 6 postpartum are discussed to explore contextual factors contributing to smoking abstinence, relapse, and harm-reduction practices. By 6 months postpartum, 10 women (23%) had completely quit, 21 women (48%) had reduced their smoking by 50% of their prepregnancy levels, and 7 women (16%) had reduced their smoking by one third of their prepregnancy levels. Thus, the majority of the women were engaging in significant harm-reduction efforts despite being entrenched in high-risk smoking environments where they were provided with few messages to quit. Many mothers were concerned about their moral identity as a smoker and expressed concerns that their child might initiate smoking at an early age. Future programs targeting this population should acknowledge women's harm-reduction efforts in environments where smoking is normative.
Nichter
Mimi
M
University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
Nichter
Mark
M
Adrian
Shelly
S
Goldade
Kate
K
Tesler
Laura
L
Muramoto
Myra
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011203:Poverty; D011247:Pregnancy; D036301:Qualitative Research; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D015431:Weight Loss; D016387:Women's Health