Factors Related to Smoking in a Sample of Pregnant Women in Baghdad City

Abstract

Smoking during pregnancy is significant health problems. Smoking is related to different adverse health effects consist of chronic respiratory diseases in children sudden infant death syndrome. To determine the rate of smoking in a sample of Pregnant women. To identify factors associated with the smoking habits (Maternal age, maternal education ,maternal occupation, gestational age, parity, socio economic status, health problems, and stress). A cross-sectional study conducted in Baghdad in Al- Karkh teaching hospital and Bab-Almoadham primary health center. Sampling was (non-probability convenient) & sample size was 276. The study started from 1st of June 2015 to 1st of October 2015. Data was collected by questionnaire to obtain socio- demographic information.The result shows that mean age of the subjects was 29.02± 6.7 years, and the 49.6% were housewives; about (343.4%) of pregnant women in the sample were smokers. About (43.5%) of the pregnant women with smoker were mainly at 2nd trimester of their pregnancy, 'the frequency of women who had more than one baby was higher among smokers than among non-smokers', about (62.8%) of the subjects were low socio economic status. Analysis of results by (chi-square test) show that (maternal occupation, parity, socio economic status, health problems, and stress) were significant factors associated with anemia.This study shows the rate of smoking during pregnancy was 34.4%, factors that were associated with higher rate of smoking were unemployment, parity, smoking was more related with low socio economic status, health problems and stress.