Impact of Smoking Ban on Passive Smoke Exposure in Pregnant Non-Smokers in the Southeastern United States

Julia C. Schechter, Bernard F. Fuemmeler, Cathrine Hoyo, Susan K. Murphy, Junfeng (Jim) Zhang and Scott H. Kollins
Additional contact information
Julia C. Schechter: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, 2608 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27705, USA
Bernard F. Fuemmeler: Health Behavior and Policy, Virginia Commonwealth University, PO Box 980430, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
Cathrine Hoyo: Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7633, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
Susan K. Murphy: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Box 91012, Durham, NC 27708, USA
Junfeng (Jim) Zhang: Nicholas School of the Environment & Duke Global Health Institute, 308 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27701, USA
Scott H. Kollins: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, 2608 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27705, USA

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Prenatal passive smoke exposure raises risk for negative birth outcomes. Legislation regulating public smoking has been shown to impact exposure levels, though fewer studies involving pregnant women have been conducted within the U.S. where bans are inconsistent across regions. This study examined the effect of a ban enacted in the southeastern U.S. on pregnant women’s cotinine levels. Additional analyses compared self-reported exposure to cotinine and identified characteristics associated with passive exposure. Pregnant women ( N = 851) were recruited prospectively between 2005 and 2011 in North Carolina. Sociodemographic and health data were collected via surveys; maternal blood samples were assayed for cotinine. Among non-active smokers who provided self-report data regarding passive exposure ( N = 503), 20% were inconsistent with corresponding cotinine. Among all non-smokers ( N = 668), being unmarried, African American, and less educated were each associated with greater passive exposure. Controlling for covariates, mean cotinine was higher prior to the ban compared to after, F (1, 640) = 24.65, p < 0.001. Results suggest that banning smoking in public spaces may reduce passive smoke exposure for non-smoking pregnant women. These data are some of the first to examine the impact of legislation on passive smoke exposure in pregnant women within the U.S. using a biomarker and can inform policy in regions lacking comprehensive smoke-free legislation.

Keywords: passive smoke exposure; environmental smoke exposure; secondhand smoke exposure; pregnancy; prenatal exposures; cotinine; biomarker; smoking; public policy; smoking ban (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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