Use and effectiveness of lapse prevention strategies among pregnant smokers

Little is known about the use of lapse prevention strategies to help smokers manage situation-triggered urges to smoke. Pregnant smokers (N = 174) participating in an intervention trial reported use of cognitive-behavioural lapse prevention strategies and smoking abstinence (biochemically verified). Participants typically enacted few strategies. Distraction strategies were most commonly used. Total number of strategies used did not predict abstinence. However, using 'self-talk' (odds ratio (OR) = 3.44, 95% confidence interval = 1.14-10.40) or 'avoiding spending time with other smokers' (OR = 4.01, 95% confidence interval = 1.34-11.95) independently increased the odds of abstinence. The promotion of these and other under-utilised evidence-based strategies warrants further attention.