title: Maternal personality traits associated with patterns of prenatal smoking and exposure: Implications for etiologic and prevention research.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about the characteristics of women who smoke during pregnancy beyond demographic factors. We examined the relationship between novelty seeking, harm avoidance, and self-directedness and (a) abstinence from smoking during pregnancy and (b) average daily cigarette consumption during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 826 birth mothers who made adoption placements in the Early Growth and Development Study and completed the Temperament and Character Inventory - Short Form, and interview-based smoking assessments 3-6 months postpartum. Never smokers (n=199), pregnancy abstainers (n=277), pregnancy light smokers (n=184), and pregnancy heavy smokers (n=166) were compared on personality dimensions and smoking-related processes. Using regression analyses we examined relationships between personality and (a) abstinence versus smoking during pregnancy; and (b) average daily cigarette consumption among lifetime smokers, controlling for nicotine dependence, birth father substance dependence, maternal antisocial behavior, and depressive symptoms during pregnancy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Smokers with higher self-directedness and lower harm avoidance were more likely to abstain during pregnancy [O.R. 1.380; 95% C.I. (1.065-1.787); B(SE)=.322(.132); p=.015] and [O.R. .713; 95% C.I. (.543-.935); B(SE)=-.339(.138); p=.014], respectively. Novelty seeking differentiated never smokers from lifetime smokers (t=-3.487; p=.001), but was not significant in multivariate models. Lifetime smokers who abstained during pregnancy reported fewer depressive symptoms relative to never smokers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Personality dimensions associated with abstinence from smoking and cigarettes per day during pregnancy may be important to consider in etiologic and intervention research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 676 North Saint Clair Street, Suite 1000, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 633 North Saint Clair Street, 19th Floor, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. Electronic address: suena.massey@northwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Suena H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Massey
authors.affiliation: Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, 230 South Frontage Rd., New Haven, CT 06519, USA. Electronic address: dxreiss@earthlink.net.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Reiss
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, 141 Moore Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA. Electronic address: jenaemn@psu.edu.
authors.forename: Jenae M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Neiderhiser
authors.affiliation: Department of Counseling Psychology and Human Services, College of Education 6217, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA. Electronic address: leve@uoregon.edu.
authors.forename: Leslie D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Leve
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, 4101 Sennott Square, 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA. Electronic address: casey@pitt.edu.
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, George Washington University Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, 2125 G Street, NW, Room 308, Washington, DC 20052, USA. Electronic address: ganiban@gwu.edu.
authors.forename: Jody M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ganiban
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D058999:Drug-Seeking Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033261:Maternal-Fetal Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Externalizing problems; Personality; Pregnancy smoking; Smoking cessation; Temperament