A Preliminary Examination of Cognitive Factors that Influence Interest in Quitting During Pregnancy

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between risks associated with smoking and the effectiveness of quit-smoking techniques and interest in quitting among pregnant smokers. It was hypothesised that both knowledge of smoking-related harm and knowledge of efficacious smoking cessation methods would be significant predictors of interest in quitting in the next 30 days. This preliminary study involved 72 pregnant smokers who completed a questionnaire assessing smoking-related knowledge and perceived efficacy of cessation methods. Of the 11 smoking-related risks probed, the least acknowledged were those associated with pregnancy and post-natal conditions, with 38% of the sample responding incorrectly to all four of the pregnancy and post-natal conditions probed. Knowledge of the efficacy of smoking medications was also poor: 32.9% of the sample reported believing that all three pharmacotherapies were ineffective for promoting cessation. A high level of knowledge about the harms of smoking was related to an increased intention to quit in the next 30 days (39.5% versus 15.8%; Odds Ratio [OR] = 3.5). Results from this preliminary study showed support for previous research regarding smoking-related knowledge in non-pregnant smokers. Further research in the area is viewed as particularly important to confirm the current results and guide intervention to increase the level of smoking related knowledge in this at-risk group.