Barriers and Facilitators to Staying Smoke-Free after Having a Baby, a Qualitative Study: Women’s Views on Support Needed to Prevent Returning to Smoking Postpartum

Lucy Phillips, Katarzyna Anna Campbell, Tim Coleman, Michael Ussher, Sue Cooper, Sarah Lewis and Sophie Orton
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Lucy Phillips: School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
Katarzyna Anna Campbell: School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
Tim Coleman: School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
Michael Ussher: Population Health Research Institute, St. George’s University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK
Sue Cooper: School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
Sarah Lewis: School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
Sophie Orton: School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 21, 1-12

Abstract: Background: Postpartum return to smoking (PPRS) is a common and important public health problem. Interventions to prevent PPRS have not been shown to be effective. We aimed to qualitatively explore the barriers and facilitators to staying smoke-free after having a baby, and women’s views on the support needed to avoid PPRS to inform future intervention development. Methods: We conducted semi-structured telephone interviews ( n = 26) with pregnant women who quit smoking ( n = 9), and postpartum women who were abstinent at delivery and returned to smoking ( n = 7) or stayed smoke-free ( n = 10). Inductive thematic analysis was used. Results: Five overarching themes were identified: (i) smoking intentions; (ii) facilitators to staying smoke-free; (iii) barriers to staying smoke-free; (iv) support to avoid relapse; and (v) e-cigarettes, nicotine replacement therapy, and varenicline. Facilitators to staying smoke-free were the health benefits to their baby, whilst barriers included stress, cravings, and being in environments where they would previously have smoked. Women wanted continuous offers of support to stay smoke-free throughout the extended postpartum period, with a particular interest in support for partners to quit smoking and self-help support. Women expressed safety concerns for e-cigarettes, nicotine replacement therapy, and varenicline. Conclusions: Offers of support to stay smoke-free should continue throughout the postpartum and engage with partners or other household members who smoke. Reassuring women about the relative safety of nicotine replacement therapy and e-cigarettes by a health professional, particularly for those who are breastfeeding, could be beneficial.

Keywords: smoking; pregnancy; relapse; postpartum (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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