Leveraging technology to address the problem of cigarette smoking among women of reproductive age

Abstract

Women of reproductive age and particularly pregnant women underutilize evidence-based smoking cessation services such as counseling and quit lines. Mobile health (mHealth) may constitute an unexplored and innovative avenue for providing smoking cessation support to a population that is otherwise difficult to reach with evidence-based interventions. Female respondents aged 18–44 years (N = 10 023) were drawn from the first wave of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study (2013–2014). We examined prevalence of use of various digital forms of communication (e.g., social media, text messaging, smartphone ownership) among non-pregnant women of reproductive age, pregnant women, and among smokers versus non-smokers within these groups. Multiple logistic regression modeling was conducted to identify correlates of using each digital form adjusting for smoking status, pregnancy, and demographic characteristics. Over two thirds of women overall and within subgroups of non-pregnant and pregnant smokers reported using social media, owning a cell phone, owning a smartphone, downloading apps, and sending/receiving text messages. Current smokers and those with lower educational attainment generally had lower odds of using each digital form relative to non-smokers and those with higher educational attainment, the exception being that smokers had higher odds of using social media relative to non-smokers. The high prevalence of using various digital forms among both non-pregnant smokers of reproductive age and pregnant smokers suggests that leveraging technology to expand access to prevention, education, and treatment resources may reduce smoking-attributable adverse health effects among reproductive-aged women and their offspring.

Reducing tobacco use among women of childbearing age: Contributions of tobacco regulatory science and tobacco control.

“…As with many other fields of study, mHealth approaches to promoting behavior change continue to grow in the tobacco field. Although much of this work focuses on reducing tobacco use among the general population, one recent report found that a U.S. national sample of both nonpregnant women of childbearing age and pregnant women who smoked used various digital forms (e.g., social media, text messaging, smartphone apps) at similar rates as both their nonsmoking counterparts and the general U.S. population (Kurti, Bunn, Nighbor, et al, 2019). These findings provide support for the potential utility of leveraging technology to deploy tobacco prevention, education, and treatment efforts to reduce tobacco use among reproductive-aged women.…”

“…In addition to providing women with co-occurring vulnerabilities with access to intensive, evidence-based tobacco cessation treatment, efforts must also be made to address competing needs in the lives of these women so that they can fully engage in the treatments that are made available to them (Levinson et al, 2015). Although mHealth interventions may help surmount geographical barriers to accessing tobacco cessation treatment, it is worth noting that socioeconomic barriers in access to varying digital forms (e.g., smartphone ownership) are still present, with nonpregnant and pregnant smokers both endorsing less access relative to their nonsmoking counterparts, although digital form utilization among these women was still quite high (Kurti, Bunn, Nighbor, et al, 2019). Nonetheless, it will be important for those developing technology-based smoking cessation services to devise explicit plans for engaging smokers who remain in the minority without access to various digital platforms (e.g., directing them to locations in their community that offer free computer and Internet access (McInnes, Li, & Hogan, 2013), or programs that distribute free mobile phones to low-income persons; Komando, 2012).…”

National, regional, and global prevalence of cigarette smoking among women/females in the general population: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Smoking in women carries the risk of diseases such as cervical cancer, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, and type 2 diabetes, lung cancer, premature menopause, premature birth, abnormal fetal growth, low birth weight, miscarriage, and increases fetal death [ 3 , 4 ]. Women who smoke before and during pregnancy increase the risk of preterm birth, abnormal fetal growth, low birth weight, miscarriage, and fetal death [ 5 , 6 ].…”

Negotiating cancer preventative health behaviours and adapting to motherhood: the role of technology in supporting positive health behaviours

“…Consistent with existing research, both US and UK women were regular and skilled users of technology, using apps to track fitness (steps), accessing information on breastfeeding via websites and apps, and using electronic means of forming and maintaining social networks, and linking online to "real world" social groups (Johnson, 2015;Kurti et al, 2019). In general, the qualitative data revealed that technology was a facilitator-a means to promote positive health behaviours and to provide support for women adapting to a postpartum identity.…”