Changes of Smoking Behaviour of Women during Pregnancy.Results of ELSPAC Study

Overview

In a group of 3 897 women from Brno, included in the ELSPAC study who were pregnant duringthe period between 1990-1992 were 41.6% women with a history of smoking. Among thesmokers were most frequently light smokers, smoking less than 10 cigarettes per day (57.4%).Medium heavy smokers were recorded in 32.4% and there were 9% women who smoked morethan 20 cigarettes per day.Before pregnancy and during pregnancy a statistically significant reduction of the number ofsmokers occurred: at the beginning of pregnancy 20.5% of the ELSPAC group smoked, duringthe 20th week 8.2% women.The prevalence of smokers dropped most markedly in the group of women smoking less than10 cigarettes per day: at the onset of pregnancy on third smoked, in mid-pregnancy one tenth.In the group of medium heavy smokers (10-19 cigarettes per day) the ratio of smokers was atthe above stages of pregnancy 66.5% and 31.0% resp. As to heavy smokers, at the onset ofpregnancy 26.7% stopped smoking and by the 20th week 57.5%. The majority of women whodid not stop smoking during pregnancy reduced the number of cigarettes.The authors offer doctors in prenatal clinics a programme of brief intervention motivatingpregnant women to stop smoking.

Key words:
pregnancy - smoking cessation.