SMOKING CESSATION IN PREGNANCY - A SURVEY OF THE MEDICAL AND NURSING DIRECTORS OF PUBLIC ANTENATAL CLINICS IN AUSTRALIA

Smoking is a major cause of adverse pregnancy outcomes. However limited data are available documenting the perceptions of care providers in this area. This mail survey undertaken in 1999-1993 aimed to assess the smoking cessation practices of Australian public antenatal clinics. Questionnaires were returned by 140 (80%) of the 175 eligible hospitals, 83 (48%) medical directors and 108 (62%) nursing directors. Smoking advice was rated an essential activity at the first antenatal visit by 69% of responding directors. Nonetheless, only 12% of clinics indicated they offered relevant training and 4% reported written policies. Results also indicate senior staff may have suboptimal levels of awareness of smoking risks. Clinics used a narrow array of strategies to promote cessation. Almost one-third of directors said they advised smokers to cut down rather than stop smoking completely. There is a need for antenatal clinics to implement integrated strategies for the detection and treatment of pregnant smokers including staff training and modifications to the clinics' environment. In addition, major health promotion agencies need to develop effective smoking cessation programmes designed specifically for use in antenatal clinics and to monitor their on-going implementation.