Smoking behaviors of mothers during pregnancy and postpartum in a semirural area

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to determine smoking behavior during pregnancy and postpartum and affecting factors of mothers with small children in semirural area, in Denizli, Honaz, Kaklık, Kocabaş, Pınarkent provinces.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out between October and November in 2014. The population of the study was 459 women who had children between 12 to 24 months of age and registered to one of the Family Health Centers in Honaz, Kaklik, Kocabas or Pınarkent. We collected the data, from 254 women, without making a sample selection, who were willing to participate in the study, by using a questionnaire prepared by the researchers consisting of 31 questions; 10 questions for sociodemographic features and 21 questions for smoking and passive exposure to cigarette smoke.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 28.4±5.4 years and 64.6% (n=164) of the participants’ educational status was secondary school or less. Never smokers, current smokers and ex-smokers consisted 79.1% (n=201), 12.6% (n=3) and 8.3% (n=21) of the study group, respectively. Smoking during pregnancy was reported by 35.8% (n=19) of the ever smoker mothers. Among working mothers (n=9) and non-working mothers (n=10) smoking rates during pregnancy were 81.8% and 23.8%, respectively(p<0.001). Of those who smoked during pregnancy 78.1%reported not receiving, any advice about giving up smoking by any health care provider.

Conclusions: We conclude that the rate of receiving education and counseling about giving up smoking from health care workers was low among pregnant women who smoke. This study showed that the participants appear to have inadequate advice or support from health care providers regarding giving up smoking or protecting themselves from environmental tobacco smoke.