| Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools. |
Smoking and Harm-Reduction Efforts Among Postpartum WomenUniversity of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA The authors present findings from a qualitative study on postpartum smoking among low-income women ( N = 44) who had been smokers at the onset of pregnancy. Interview data collected after delivery at Months 1, 3, and 6 postpartum are discussed to explore contextual factors contributing to smoking abstinence, relapse, and harm-reduction practices. By 6 months postpartum, 10 women (23%) had completely quit, 21 women (48%) had reduced their smoking by 50% of their prepregnancy levels, and 7 women (16%) had reduced their smoking by one third of their prepregnancy levels. Thus, the majority of the women were engaging in significant harm-reduction efforts despite being entrenched in high-risk smoking environments where they were provided with few messages to quit. Many mothers were concerned about their moral identity as a smoker and expressed concerns that their child might initiate smoking at an early age. Future programs targeting this population should acknowledge women's harm-reduction efforts in environments where smoking is normative.
Key Words: postpartum care • smoking • tobacco and health • women's health
Qualitative Health Research, Vol. 18, No. 9,
1184-1194 (2008) |
|||
 |
|
|
 |
|
Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
