Background
Previous studies have hardly explored the influence of pre-pregnancy smoking and smoking cessation during pregnancy on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of pregnant women, which is a topic that need to be addressed. In addition, pregnant women in China constitute a big population in the largest developing country of the world and cannot be neglected.
Objective
This study aims to evaluate the HRQoL of pregnant women in China with different smoking statuses and further estimate the association between pre-pregnancy smoking, smoking cessation, and the HRQoL.
Methods
A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the association between different smoking statuses (smoking currently, quit smoking, never smoking) and the HRQoL in pregnant women across mainland China. A web-based questionnaire was delivered through the Banmi Online Maternity School platform, including questions about demographics, smoking status, and the HRQoL. EuroQoL Group’s 5-dimension 5-level (EQ-5D-5L) scale with EuroQoL Group’s visual analog scale (EQ-VAS) was used for measuring the HRQoL. Ethical approval was granted by the institutional review board of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University (ICE-2017-296).
Results
From August to September 2019, a total of 16,483 participants from 31 provinces were included, of which 93 (0.56%) were smokers, 731 (4.43%) were ex-smokers, and 15,659 (95%) were nonsmokers. Nonsmokers had the highest EQ-VAS score (mean 84.49, SD 14.84), smokers had the lowest EQ-VAS score (mean 77.38, SD 21.99), and the EQ-VAS score for ex-smokers was in between (mean 81.04, SD 17.68). A significant difference in EQ-VAS scores was detected between nonsmokers and ex-smokers (P<.001), which indicated that pre-pregnancy smoking does have a negative impact on the HRQoL (EQ-VAS) of pregnant women. Compared with nonsmokers, ex-smokers suffered from more anxiety/depression problems (P=.001, odds ratio [OR] 1.29, 95% CI 1.12-1.50). Among ex-smokers, the increased cigarette consumption was associated with a lower EQ-5D index (P=.007) and EQ-VAS score (P=.01) of pregnant women. Compared to smokers, no significant difference was found in the ex-smokers’ EQ-5D index and EQ-VAS score (P=.33).
Conclusions
Smoking history is associated with a lower HRQoL in pregnant Chinese women. Pre-pregnancy smoking is related to a lower HRQoL (EQ-VAS) and a higher incidence of depression/anxiety problems. Smoking cessation during pregnancy does not significantly improve the HRQoL of pregnant Chinese women. Among ex-smokers, the more cigarettes they smoke, the lower HRQoL they have during pregnancy. We suggest that the Chinese government should strengthen the education on quitting smoking and avoiding second-hand smoke for women who have pregnancy plans and their family members.
