Prenatal and postpartum smoking abstinence - A partner-assisted approach

Background: A partner's provision of support and smoking status has been consistently associated with women's likelihood of smoking cessation during pregnancy and relapse in postpartum. Design: A three-group randomized controlled intervention trial was conducted in 1996 to 2001, with 583 women and their partners randomized to usual care (UC), woman-only (WO), or partner-assisted (PA) intervention. Follow-ups occurred at 28 weeks of pregnancy, and 2-, 6-, and 12-months postpartum. S etting: Womack Army Medical Center (WAMC) at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Intervention: Women in the UC condition received provider advice to quit and a self-help guide. The WO condition received UC components plus a late-pregnancy relapse prevention kit (booklet and gift items) and six counseling calls (three in pregnancy and three postpartum) initiated by a health advisor. Women in the PA condition received the WO intervention, and their partners received telephone counseling and a support guide emphasizing skills to help the woman build and maintain her confidence to quit smoking. Partners who smoked also received cessation aids and related counseling. Main Outcome Measure: Seven-day self-reported abstinence from smoking at each follow-up. Results: Intent-to-treat analyses showed no significant differences by condition in women's reports of abstinence at an), follow-up. In late pregnancy, more partners were abstinent in the PA condition (15%) than in the UC condition (5%), p = 0.02. Conclusions: Partner-assisted smoking-cessation interventions need further refinement. Influencing young couples' support patterns may require more intensive and conjoint intervention. Partners who smoke could benefit from support for their cessation efforts. (C) 2004 American Journal of Preventive Medicine.