Summary
Introduction:
This article presents a study that aimed to understand the factors influencing pregnant women's intention to switch from cigarettes to e-cigarettes during pregnancy. The study used the Reasoned Action Approach (RAA) to examine the relationship between RAA constructs (instrumental attitudes, experiential attitudes, injunctive norms, descriptive norms, perceived autonomy, and perceived capacity) and intention to switch from cigarettes to e-cigarettes during pregnancy. The study also explored the relationship between intention to switch and expectations to resume use of cigarettes postpartum. This summary will highlight the key points of the study design, major findings, and the main message of the text.
Key Points:
* The study used a cross-sectional design with a convenience sample of self-reported pregnant participants in the United States.
* The RAA constructs were measured using a 29-item measure, and a confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the latent factors for each RAA construct.
* The study found that instrumental attitudes and descriptive norms were significantly associated with intention to switch from cigarettes to e-cigarettes during pregnancy.
* Among past 30-day e-cigarette users, descriptive norms and autonomy were found to be significantly associated with intention to switch.
* Among pregnant smokers who had not used an e-cigarette in the past 30 days, instrumental attitudes and descriptive norms were significantly associated with intention to switch.
* The study found that intending to switch to e-cigarettes was negatively associated with the expectation to resume smoking postpartum.
* The study had limitations, including the use of a cross-sectional design, a convenience sample, and the self-reported nature of the data.
Main Message:
The study provides valuable insights into the factors influencing pregnant women's intention to switch from cigarettes to e-cigarettes during pregnancy. The findings suggest that the RAA is a promising theoretical framework to help understand this decision-making process among pregnant smokers. Providers can use identified theoretical constructs as interventional targets in future research and educational campaigns. Specifically, believing e-cigarette use is good and necessary and believing pregnant people who smoke commonly switch to e-cigarettes during pregnancy were strongly associated with intention to switch among the sample. Further research is needed to understand the health outcomes of prenatal e-cigarette use to help pregnant people who smoke understand if switching to e-cigarettes reduces health risks.
Citation
Dobbs PD, Branscum P, Cohn AM, Tackett AP, Comiford AL. Pregnant Smokers’ Intention to Switch From Cigarettes to E-Cigarettes: A Reasoned Action Approach. Women’s health issues : official publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health. 2021;31(6):540-549. doi:10.1016/j.whi.2021.07.005
