The smoking gun?

Concerns about weight control may be a key reason why most women who quit smoking during pregnancy take it up again after giving birth. (1) In a study of 119 women who quit while pregnant, 66% were determined to kick the habit for good; compared with women who were less motivated to avoid relapse, this group reported more stress, greater confidence in their ability to control their weight, less reliance on smoking for weight control and less hunger. The highly motivated group also were more likely to intend to breastfeed. When these and other measures related to postpartum smoking were analyzed together, self-efficacy for weight management was the only variable that was significantly associated with motivation to quit for good: For every one-step increase in the weight self-efficacy measure, a woman's likelihood of intending not to resume smoking after giving birth increased by 40%. The findings, according to the researchers, suggest that "interventions designed to prevent postpartum smoking relapse may need to address women's concerns about eating and weight."

(1.) Levine MD et al., Weight concerns affect motivation to remain abstinent from smoking postpartum, Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 2006, 32(2): 147-153.

FYI is compiled and written by Dore Hollander, executive editor of Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health.