Background Smoking has been shown to contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes and no cost smoking cessation support is available for all pregnant women in Australia. However, despite the evidence, pregnant women continue to smoke. Healthcare professionals are encouraged to provide referrals for smoking cessation support to all women who smoke or have recently stopped although, once referred, uptake is low. Currently there is little information on why women do not uptake the appointment.
Methods The aim of the study is to understand the woman’s experience of the referral pathway and the barriers of attending smoking cessation support. From January to July 2020, a survey was undertaken at multiple hospital sites in Queensland and New South Wales, collecting pre-implementation data from health services participating in the Safer Baby bundle. 1,096 women who were pregnant or recently birthed, participated in the survey. A sub study of this broader survey looked at smoking cessation and women were asked to answer questions and share their experiences on smoking cessation education and referral to smoking cessation services. 150 women were identified as smoking at the time of pregnancy.
Results Of the 150 women, 137 (91%) were provided with information on the risks of smoking and the benefits of quitting by health professionals. 75 women (50%) were referred to smoking cessations services, however only 8 women (10.7%) accessed this service. Responses were also obtained from 19 women (25%) on why they did not uptake the appointment with smoking cessation services after referral, with 56 women (75%) declining to give a reason.
Conclusion This research suggests improvements are warranted in the antenatal smoking cessation referral pathway to meet women’s needs. Further studies aimed at improving uptake of support is needed to improve pregnancy outcomes.