Perinatal Smoking Cessation and the Role of Antenatal Care

Objectives This study examines the smoking patterns of Hungarian women across four perinatal periods and evaluates the effectiveness of early antenatal care in promoting smoking cessation during pregnancy.Data and methods The research utilizes data from the Cohort “18 Growing Up” in Hungary longitudinal study, which includes a sample of 8,000 women. The analysis focuses on identifying relationships between antenatal care entry timing and smoking cessation, with an emphasis on socioeconomic disparities. Descriptive statistics were employed to categorize mothers based on their perinatal smoking behaviors. A logistic regression model was used to estimate average marginal effects, assessing how early antenatal care influences the likelihood of quitting smoking. Socioeconomic background variables were also examined to identify vulnerable groups.Results Among the participants, 45.8% did not smoke before or during pregnancy, 31.1% ceased smoking upon becoming pregnant, 14.4% smoked throughout the perinatal period, and 6.4% stopped after the first trimester. Women from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds were disproportionately represented among late entrants to antenatal care and among persistent smokers. Regression analysis indicated that late antenatal care entry decreases the likelihood of smoking cessation by 5 percentage points (Nagelkerke R2=0.37).Conclusions Early entry to antenatal care significantly improves smoking cessation rates during pregnancy. To maximize its impact, antenatal care systems should prioritize timely access, particularly for socioeconomically disadvantaged women who are at greater risk of continued smoking.