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Smoke‐free home status and parents' smoking status among first‐time mothers

Smoke‐free home status and parents' smoking status among first‐time mothers Parental smoking can adversely affect the health of infants through exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). A recent study found that while newborn babies were often shielded from ETS by parents, this protective behaviour only lasted weeks or months and was not sustained throughout the first few years of life. In Australia, approximately 17% of women smoke during pregnancy. However, less is known about changes to the smoking status of a mother's partner and changes to smoke‐free home status during pregnancy compared with after giving birth. To investigate parents' smoking status and smoke‐free home status before or after the birth of their child, we analysed the baseline data collected by the Healthy Beginnings Trial (HBT). As part of the HBT, first‐time mothers who attended antenatal clinics at Liverpool or Campbelltown Hospitals located in south‐west Sydney were recruited. Four hundred and nine first‐time mothers were interviewed at 26–36 weeks of pregnancy and another 258 first‐time mothers were interviewed within one month after giving birth. The interviews took place at the mothers' home. Mothers were asked their smoking status, their partners' smoking and whether any smoking was allowed inside their home. The study found there were no significant differences in smoking status of the mothers or their partners before and after the child's birth ( Table 1 ). Before the birth 17% of the mothers smoked and among those mothers interviewed after the birth 14% were smoking ( p =0.36). Partner smoking status remained high before or after their child's birth (36% vs 37%, p =0.69). In one in 10 households both parents smoked before or after the birth of child ( p =0.62). At one month after the child's birth there was a higher proportion of households that were smoke‐free compared with those households where the mother was interviewed before giving birth (96% vs 89%, p =0.001). 1 Parents' smoking status and smoke‐free home status before and after the birth of child as reported by first‐time mothers in south‐west Sydney. Variables Before giving birth n=409 n a (%) After giving birth n=258 n a (%) P b Maternal smoking 0.36 Yes 68 (17) 36 (14) No 338 (83) 220 (86) Partner smoking 0.69 Yes 143 (36) 94 (37) No 260 (64) 160 (63) Both parents smoking 0.62 Yes 46 (11) 24 (9) No 363 (89) 234 (91) Smoke‐free home 0.001 Yes 363 (89) 249 (96) No 45 (11) 9 (4) Notes: a) May not add to 409 or 258 due to missing data b) chi‐squared test Smoke‐free home status was significantly associated with parents' smoking status. Compared to homes with non‐smoking parents, the risk ratio of smoking occurring inside their home was 3.7, 95%CI 1.8–7.3 ( p <0.001) for homes with a parent smoking, and 8.1, 95%CI 3.7–17.4, ( p <0.001) for homes with both parents smoking, after adjusting for household income and maternal education level using log‐binomial regression. High rates of partners' smoking after the birth of a child are of concern. Because the smoking status of a mother's partner is a significant predictor of continued smoking by the mother during her pregnancy, maternal smoking intervention programs must look into their partner's smoking status. We believe that having a first child is an important life event in which there are considerable opportunities for smoking cessation and implementation of a smoke‐free home. The short‐term increase in the proportion of smoke‐free homes found after the birth of the child suggests that parents are conscious about harming the health of their newborn babies and having a newborn may act as a significant stimulus to parents instituting a smoke‐free home policy. However, this improvement may be short lived, in particular if both parents of a child are smokers. Since living in a totally smoke‐free home can encourage smoking cessation attempts and maintenance of smoking cessation, or can decrease consumption of cigarettes, efforts to reduce rates of mothers and partners smoking need to be in conjunction with a strong smoke‐free home policy. Acknowledgements This is part of the Healthy Beginnings Trial funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (ID number: 393112). http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health Wiley

Smoke‐free home status and parents' smoking status among first‐time mothers

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References (14)

Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
© 2010 The Authors. Journal Compilation © 2010 Public Health Association of Australia
ISSN
1326-0200
eISSN
1753-6405
DOI
10.1111/j.1753-6405.2010.00604.x
pmid
21040186
Publisher site
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Abstract

Parental smoking can adversely affect the health of infants through exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). A recent study found that while newborn babies were often shielded from ETS by parents, this protective behaviour only lasted weeks or months and was not sustained throughout the first few years of life. In Australia, approximately 17% of women smoke during pregnancy. However, less is known about changes to the smoking status of a mother's partner and changes to smoke‐free home status during pregnancy compared with after giving birth. To investigate parents' smoking status and smoke‐free home status before or after the birth of their child, we analysed the baseline data collected by the Healthy Beginnings Trial (HBT). As part of the HBT, first‐time mothers who attended antenatal clinics at Liverpool or Campbelltown Hospitals located in south‐west Sydney were recruited. Four hundred and nine first‐time mothers were interviewed at 26–36 weeks of pregnancy and another 258 first‐time mothers were interviewed within one month after giving birth. The interviews took place at the mothers' home. Mothers were asked their smoking status, their partners' smoking and whether any smoking was allowed inside their home. The study found there were no significant differences in smoking status of the mothers or their partners before and after the child's birth ( Table 1 ). Before the birth 17% of the mothers smoked and among those mothers interviewed after the birth 14% were smoking ( p =0.36). Partner smoking status remained high before or after their child's birth (36% vs 37%, p =0.69). In one in 10 households both parents smoked before or after the birth of child ( p =0.62). At one month after the child's birth there was a higher proportion of households that were smoke‐free compared with those households where the mother was interviewed before giving birth (96% vs 89%, p =0.001). 1 Parents' smoking status and smoke‐free home status before and after the birth of child as reported by first‐time mothers in south‐west Sydney. Variables Before giving birth n=409 n a (%) After giving birth n=258 n a (%) P b Maternal smoking 0.36 Yes 68 (17) 36 (14) No 338 (83) 220 (86) Partner smoking 0.69 Yes 143 (36) 94 (37) No 260 (64) 160 (63) Both parents smoking 0.62 Yes 46 (11) 24 (9) No 363 (89) 234 (91) Smoke‐free home 0.001 Yes 363 (89) 249 (96) No 45 (11) 9 (4) Notes: a) May not add to 409 or 258 due to missing data b) chi‐squared test Smoke‐free home status was significantly associated with parents' smoking status. Compared to homes with non‐smoking parents, the risk ratio of smoking occurring inside their home was 3.7, 95%CI 1.8–7.3 ( p <0.001) for homes with a parent smoking, and 8.1, 95%CI 3.7–17.4, ( p <0.001) for homes with both parents smoking, after adjusting for household income and maternal education level using log‐binomial regression. High rates of partners' smoking after the birth of a child are of concern. Because the smoking status of a mother's partner is a significant predictor of continued smoking by the mother during her pregnancy, maternal smoking intervention programs must look into their partner's smoking status. We believe that having a first child is an important life event in which there are considerable opportunities for smoking cessation and implementation of a smoke‐free home. The short‐term increase in the proportion of smoke‐free homes found after the birth of the child suggests that parents are conscious about harming the health of their newborn babies and having a newborn may act as a significant stimulus to parents instituting a smoke‐free home policy. However, this improvement may be short lived, in particular if both parents of a child are smokers. Since living in a totally smoke‐free home can encourage smoking cessation attempts and maintenance of smoking cessation, or can decrease consumption of cigarettes, efforts to reduce rates of mothers and partners smoking need to be in conjunction with a strong smoke‐free home policy. Acknowledgements This is part of the Healthy Beginnings Trial funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (ID number: 393112).

Journal

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health – Wiley

Published: Oct 1, 2010

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