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Knowledge and Attitudes of Adults towards Smoking in Pregnancy: Results from the HealthStyles© 2008 Survey

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Abstract

Smoking during pregnancy is causally associated with many adverse health outcomes. Quitting smoking, even late in pregnancy, improves some outcomes. Among adults in general and reproductive-aged women, we sought to understand knowledge and attitudes towards prenatal smoking and its effects on pregnancy outcomes. Using data from the 2008 HealthStyles© survey, we assessed knowledge and attitudes about prenatal smoking and smoking cessation. We classified respondents as having high knowledge if they gave ≥5 correct responses to six knowledge questions regarding the health effects of prenatal smoking. We calculated frequencies of correct responses to assess knowledge about prenatal smoking and estimated relative risk to examine knowledge by demographic and lifestyle factors. Only 15 % of all respondents and 23 % of reproductive-aged women had high knowledge of the adverse effects of prenatal smoking on pregnancy outcomes. Preterm birth and low birth weight were most often recognized as adverse outcomes associated with prenatal smoking. Nearly 70 % of reproductive-aged women smokers reported they would quit smoking if they became pregnant without any specific reasons from their doctor. Few respondents recognized the benefits of quitting smoking after the first trimester of pregnancy. Our results suggest that many women lack knowledge regarding the increased risks for adverse outcomes associated with prenatal smoking. Healthcare providers should follow the recommendations provided by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which include educating women about the health risks of prenatal smoking and the benefits of quitting. Healthcare providers should emphasize quitting smoking even after the first trimester of pregnancy.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Porter Novelli for data collection efforts and their assistance with appropriate interpretation of the data. We also thank all respondents to this survey for their participation. The authors also would like to thank Lucinda England, M.D., M.S.P.H, for her valuable insights and contributions towards the project.

Conflict of interest

Paramjit K. Sandhu and Kara N.D. Polen were supported by an appointment to the Research Participation Program for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education through an agreement between the Department of Energy and CDC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS E-86, Atlanta, GA, 30333, USA

    Kara N. D. Polen, Margaret A. Honein & Katie K. Green

  2. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Paramjit K. Sandhu

  3. Battelle Memorial Institute, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Judy M. Berkowitz

  4. Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Kara N. D. Polen, Paramjit K. Sandhu, Margaret A. Honein, Katie K. Green, Judy M. Berkowitz, Jill Pace & Sonja A. Rasmussen

  5. Office of Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Jill Pace & Sonja A. Rasmussen

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  1. Kara N. D. Polen
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Polen, K.N.D., Sandhu, P.K., Honein, M.A. et al. Knowledge and Attitudes of Adults towards Smoking in Pregnancy: Results from the HealthStyles© 2008 Survey. Matern Child Health J 19, 144–154 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-014-1505-0

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