[Evolution of tobacco habits during pregnancy and postpartum period].
OBJECTIVE: To describe how smoking evolved during pregnancy and a long postpartum period, with analysis of the factors associated with giving up tobacco. DESIGN: Retrospective, descriptive study. SETTING: Badia del Vallès Primary Care Centre (Barcelona). PARTICIPANTS: Women with pregnancies coming to term over a 3-year period (n=309, 68% of the target population). MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Tobacco dependency before pregnancy. Giving up during pregnancy and related factors (social and personal, nature of tobacco habit, health beliefs). Backsliding after birth. RESULTS: 50% smoked before pregnancy. 46% of these gave up smoking during pregnancy and 44% cut down. In primigravidae, there was greater risk of their continuing to smoke, the greater their previous tobacco consumption was (OR=5.3 if > or =20 cigarettes a day and OR=4.7 for 10-19 cigarettes a day) or if they did not believe in the effect of tobacco on the baby's health (OR=3.9). In women pregnant for the second time or more, it was associated with not giving up tobacco in previous pregnancies (OR=43.8) and with their partner's tobacco habit (OR=7.2). In the 2 years after birth 80% of those who gave up relapsed. CONCLUSIONS: In our milieu a high prevalence of smokers before pregnancy coexists with a high rate of giving up during pregnancy. In all, 1 in every 4 women smokes during pregnancy. Giving up tobacco was related to factors such as dependency, motivation, environment and prior experience.