Pennsylvania Nurse, Front Page 2017 Issue 2 | Page 6

Smoking
after pregnancy
Factors Associated with a
Relapse to Smoking in Pennsylvania
CE: 0.5 contact hour
Introduction
Most women quit smoking during pregnancy for the health of their unborn children (Flemming, Graham,
Heirs, Fox, & Sowden, 2013; Notley, Blyth, Craig, Edwards, & Holland, 2015). However, despite overwhelming
evidence of the negative health effects of smoking, most women resume smoking after childbirth (Constantine,
Slater, Carroll, & Antin, 2014; Notley et al., 2015). Studies have identified certain characteristics that appear
to raise women’s likelihood of resuming cigarette smoking after quitting during their pregnancy, including an
unintended pregnancy, age under 25 years, less than 12 years of education, non-Hispanic black, bottle feeding,
and multiparity (Jones, Lewis, Parrott, Wormall, & Coleman, 2016). To date, some interventions have been
successful in motivating women to abstain from smoking after delivery, but few interventions have resulted in
long-term smoking cessation.
Is enough known about which women are at risk for relapse? Why do women who were motivated to quit smok-
ing while pregnant find it so challenging to remain abstinent after their babies are born? To promote the health
and wellness of women, children, and families, there needs to be an understanding of the predictors of post-
Issue 2 2017 Pennsylvania Nurse 4