Abstract
Tobacco smoking during pregnancy was examined in a cross-sectional descriptive study (N=411) and a randomized intervention trial (N=139). Self-report and expired air carbon monoxide (CO) assessments conducted at routine prenatal clinic visits revealed a high prevalence of smoking among all patients (51%), especially young Caucasian women (68%). Smokers were randomized into a usual care condition or a minimal intervention condition consisting of a brief letter that provided feedback about CO elevations and recommended smoking cessation. Cessation was significantly greater among the intervention group (11.6%) than the control group (1.4%) at the following clinic visit. The significant difference between groups was not maintained at the last prenatal visit (13.0% vs. 5.7%), due to an increase in cessation among controls. The simplicity and efficacy of this approach, combined with its capacity to contact large portions of high-risk smokers, suggest substantial public health utility if broadly implemented.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 31-40 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Behavior Therapy |
Volume | 22 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1991 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Clinical Psychology