Prenatal cigarette smoking and smokeless tobacco use among Alaska native and white women in Alaska, 1996-2003.
OBJECTIVE
To examine trends in prenatal cigarette smoking and smokeless tobacco use among Alaska Native (AN) and white women in Alaska.


METHODS
Using 1996-2003 data from the population-based Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, we determined trends in self-reported prenatal tobacco use among AN and white women and used chi-square tests and multiple variable logistic regression analysis to identify maternal factors associated with prenatal tobacco use.


RESULTS
Over the study period, prevalence of any tobacco use during pregnancy declined by 27% among AN women (from 55.8 to 40.9%) (P < 0.0001) and by 17% among white women (from 18.8 to 15.6%) (P < 0.0001). In 2003, among AN women the prevalence of self-reported smokeless tobacco use was 16.9%, cigarette smoking was 25.7%, and any tobacco use was 40.9%; corresponding values for white women were 0.4, 15.0, and 15.6%, respectively. Western Alaska had the highest prevalence of tobacco use.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of tobacco use decreased between 1996 and 2003, but remained higher among AN women than white women, especially for smokeless tobacco. Support for cessation interventions targeting pregnant women should be made a public health priority in Alaska.
Kim
Shin Y
SY
Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. skim1@cdc.gov
England
Lucinda
L
Dietz
Patricia M
PM
Morrow
Brian
B
Perham-Hester
Katherine A
KA
D000328:Adult; D000413:Alaska / Q000453:epidemiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D004930:Inuit; D008423:Maternal Age; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000208:ethnology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D014030:Tobacco, Smokeless; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult