How important is the smoking status of the Woman's partner as a predictor of smoking cessation in pregnancy? A literature review

The aim of this paper is to assess the extent to which the smoking status of a pregnant woman's partner is a predictor or correlate of smoking cessation or relapse. A systematic review of the literature (including surveys with and without follow-ups, trials and evaluations) identified 62 papers on smoking and pregnancy, which included 25 studies, in which the smoking status of the' woman's partner (or 'other in household') was reported. Fifteen considered the relationship between partner's smoking status and Cessation or relapse. Despite methodological limitations, including the infrequency with which some important variables feature in the study designs, there is evidence that women whose partners smoke are: less likely to quit spontaneously; less likely to quit after taking part in a smoking cessation intervention; and more likely to relapse to smoking after the birth. The possibility that interventions in pregnancy may be more effective if offered to pregnant women and their partners should be explored.