Objectives:
to estimate the prevalence and investigate the factors associated with smoking among pregnant women in the city of São Luís, Maranhão.
Methods:
a cross-sectional study was carried out with a sample of 5,212 pregnant women attending eleven hospitals in São Luís in 2010. Information on smoking and socio-economic, demographic, reproductive health and lifestyle characteristics were obtained using a standardized questionnaire. The prevalence was estimated and the odds ratio (OR) calculated, with respective confidence intervals of 95% (CI95%), using a logistic regression model. The data were analyzed using the STATA 12.0 software package.
Results:
the prevalence of smoking during pregnancy was 4.1% (CI95%:3.55-4.64). The factors associated with smoking were: lack of religion (OR=1.58; CI95%:1.11-2.26); not having a partner (OR=1.66; CI95%:1.15-2.38); having had 2 to 4 births (OR=2.25; CI95%:1.54-3.29) or five births or more (OR=2.50; CI95%:1.23-5.05); 0 to 3 prenatal consultations (OR=2.75; CI95%:1.74-4.34); economic class D/E (OR=2.75; CI95%:1.22-6.19); and alcohol consumption (OR=7.61; CI95%:5.50- 10.55).
Conclusions:
the prevalence of smoking was low. There was a reduction in smoking in São Luís from 5.9%, in 1997/98, to 4.1% in the present study. More emphatic interventions should be directed at pregnant women with the identified risk profile.
Pregnancy; Smoking; Alcohol drinking; Religion