Impact of pregnancy and passive smoking on lung function among rural South Indian women

Abstract

Pregnancy induces physiological changes that influence pulmonary function, while environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure is a known respiratory hazard. Therefore, it is of interest to evaluate the independent and combined effects of pregnancy and ETS exposure on pulmonary function tests (PFTs) in 200 rural South Indian women divided into four equal groups. Pulmonary parameters were measured using computerised spirometry and analysed using one-way ANOVA. Results showed that ETS exposure significantly impaired lung function, with the greatest decline observed in pregnant women exposed to ETS. Thus, we show the importance of minimising ETS exposure during pregnancy to protect maternal and fetal respiratory health.

Keywords: Pregnancy; environmental tobacco smoke; pulmonary function tests; rural women; small airway obstruction; spirometry.