The role of smoking in the lives of low-income pregnant adolescents: a field study

Abstract

This study examined the role of cigarette smoking in the lives of low-income, pregnant adolescents. Based on in-depth interviews, subjects' beliefs and attitudes toward smoking are described. The findings indicate that this population smoked to cope with increased weight gain; to deliver smaller infants which in turn would decrease the duration of labor and reduce the pain of delivery; to counteract anxiety arising from feelings of abandonment; and to establish an identity separate from their parents' and peers' drug abuse. These results suggest that low-income, pregnant adolescents perceive immediate benefits from cigarette smoking that outweigh long-term health consequences. It is argued that smoking-prevention programs based on an inaccurate understanding of the social context in which smoking occurs can reinforce the use of tobacco among high-risk, pregnant adolescents. Suggestions are offered to improve prevention programs targeted at low-income, pregnant teenagers.