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Home > jLPHA > Vol. 4 (2024) > No. 2 (2024)

 

Journal of the Louisiana Public Health Association

Journal of the Louisiana Public Health Association

Abstract

Background: Cigarette and electronic cigarette use before, during, or after pregnancy increases the chances of severe health risks for both the mother and child. Quitting leads to significantly better health outcomes. Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinics serve large numbers of pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, offering an excellent opportunity to address tobacco cessation. But few studies assess tobacco use, particularly electronic cigarette use, among WIC participants. This study examined the relationship between WIC status and maternal tobacco use. Methods: We analyzed WIC (n=315) and non-WIC (n=152) participants smoking data from the 2016-2018 Phase 8 Louisiana Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. We used descriptive statistics to characterize the sample and a chi-square test to determine between group differences. Results: WIC participants had higher rates of cigarette smoking in the past two years and before and after pregnancy, and e-cigarette or other electronic nicotine product use before pregnancy than non-WIC participants (all p-values < 0.05). Conclusion: With cigarette smoking and e-cigarette or other electronic nicotine product use more common among WIC participants, our findings support the need to promote cessation for this critical population.

DOI

10.59020/97542

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