Depression and smoking during pregnancy

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between depression and smoking during a woman's pregnancy. It surveyed 487 pregnant women (aged 17-44) during routine ultrasound examinations at the 18th week of gestation. A multiple regression analysis showed that depression is a significant predictor of smoking during pregnancy, after controlling for other factors such as the desirability of the pregnancy and the presence of other smokers in the household. Both current smokers and former smokers were significantly more likely to report depressive symptoms (using Centers for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, CES-D) than never smokers; the rates are 12.9%, 25.1%, and 37.5% for never, former, and current smokers, respectively. Among current smokers, the depressed were significantly less confident about quitting than the nondepressed, although both felt the need to quit. These results suggest that interventions to help pregnant women quit smoking may need to take a more comprehensive approach to be effective.