Occupational determinants of continued smoking during pregnancy. INMA Valencia cohort study

To describe the smoking habits of the mothers participating in the INMA (INfancia y Medio Ambiente or Childhood and the Environment) cohort of Valencia and to determine which occupational factors are associated with smoking cessation during pregnancy. Cohort study comprising 855 pregnant women from Health Service Areas 6 and 7 was set up in the Autonomous Region of Valencia, Spain. Data on smoking and smoking cessation during pregnancy, and on sociodemographic and work related variables were collected through structured questionnaires at the first and third trimester of pregnancy. Multivariate logistic regression models were constructed to assess factors related to smoking at the beginning of the pregnancy and to continued smoking. 787 women followed in the project and completed all the data. Among them 40.9% smoked at the beginning of pregnancy and 56.2% continued until gestational week 32. Time and effort spent on housework was associated with smoking at the beginning of pregnancy while stress in the workplace related variables contributed to both the prevalence of smoking at the beginning of the pregnancy and the persistence in the habit throughout pregnancy. We found a high prevalence of smoking among the pregnant mothers. Both, conditions in the workplace, as well as the burden of housework were found to be risk factors for smoking and not quitting during pregnancy. These factors should be taken into account when developing health programs designed to encourage the incorporation of healthy habits into the lives of pregnant women.