Internet Program to Prevent Postpartum Smoking Relapse

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): About one third of women smokers stop smoking cigarettes when they become pregnant. Pregnancy therefore represents an important window of opportunity for these women to build upon their cessation success toward the goal of remaining smokefree for life. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these individuals resume smoking within a year postpartum, despite the fact that they have not smoked for an average of 7 or more months during pregnancy. As a result, an important public health opportunity is being missed to help these women maintain their nonsmoking status and therefore avoid significant smoking-related risks for both themselves and their offspring. This project will develop and evaluate two interactive multimedia programs designed for Internet delivery to pregnant and postpartum women. One program will consist of a smoking cessation program for pregnant women and the other will create a relapse prevention program designed to encourage continued nonsmoking for pregnant and postpartum quitters. The intervention will focus on personalizing health risks, stress and mood management, weight management, social support, managing smoking urges, and developing a personal plan. Phase I provided a feasibility, acceptability and usability test of this approach with pregnant and postpartum nonsmoking women. Phase II will expand upon the Phase I materials and will evaluate the efficacy of the programs in a randomized clinical trial. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: About one third of women smokers stop smoking cigarettes when they become pregnant. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these individuals resume smoking within a year postpartum. As a result, an important public health opportunity is being missed to help these women maintain their nonsmoking status and therefore avoid significant smoking-related risks for both themselves and their offspring. This project will develop and evaluate two interactive, Internet programs for pregnant and postpartum women: a smoking cessation program for pregnant women and a relapse prevention program for pregnant and postpartum quitters. The ultimate goal of the program is to assist women in attaining permanent abstinence from smoking, thereby improving health outcomes for them and their families.