The Tobacco Smoking of Pregnant Women: the Role of Psycho-Social Factors

Abstract

The tobacco smoking of women during pregnancy and breast feeding represents a significant danger to public health. During pregnancy, the WHO recommends to abstain from cigarettes smoking. In spite of extensive information concerning related to smoking dangers to health of women and fetus, certain females continue to smoke during all pregnancy. The purpose of review is to identify and systematize existing data concerning prevalence, factors and modes of prevention tobacco smoking among pregnant females. In Russia, prevalence of tobacco smoking is at the level of highest European indices though in-land territorial differences are observed. The psycho-social factors significantly contribute to prevalence of smoking among pregnant women. The main social factors of tobacco smoking of pregnant women are low social economic status, unplanned pregnancy, smoking of representatives of the closest social environment (members of family and husband). The leading psychological factors effecting on success of smoking women to quit are psychological well-being, supporting relationship with significant others, high perceptible risks of smoking.