Prevalence and Correlates of Tobacco Smoking During the Perinatal Period Among Women Enrolled in a Midwestern WIC Program.

BACKGROUND: Perinatal tobacco smoking remains a public health concern and is associated with smoking related morbidity and mortality. This study aims to report the prevalence and correlates of smoking during pregnancy among low-income women. METHODS: The study sample comprised 729 pregnant women who were enrolled in a perinatal depression registry in a public health WIC program between 2013 and 2015. Smoking risks were obtained from the clinical USDA Risk Assessment. STATA 14.2 was used for analyses. RESULTS: 15.1% of women reported smoking during pregnancy. Compared to White women, Black women were less likely to smoke odds ratio (OR 0.45 [95% CI 0.25-0.81]). Foreign-born women and women living in non-smoking homes remained at a lower risk for smoking during pregnancy. IMPLICATIONS: Smoking during pregnancy is prevalent among low-income women. In addition to prenatal education on smoking cessation, supportive measures to help deliver smoking cessation interventions should be provided to household members.

Prevalence of antenatal suicidal ideation among racially and ethnically diverse WIC enrolled women receiving care in a Midwestern public health clinic.

BACKGROUND: Suicidal ideation (SI) during pregnancy is a major maternal health concern, however few examinations report findings on the burden of SI among low-income women. The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation among a sample of low-income women. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis of 736 low-income pregnant women enrolled in a Women Infant and Children supplemental nutrition program and a perinatal depression registry between 2013 and 2015. All participants provided informed consent. SI was captured from Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) screens administered during standard clinic visits. RESULTS: The prevalence of suicidal ideation was 4.6%. After adjusting for smoking, women with depression were 13 times as likely to report SI. LIMITATIONS: SI was measured using a single item from the EPDS during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that most, but not all, women with SI reported elevated depressive symptoms.

Impact of Pre-Pregnancy Weight and Gestational Weight Gain on Birth Outcomes by Nativity in the United States: A Systematic Review.

Background: Disparities in birth outcomes remain a problem in the United States. This study examined whether pre-pregnancy weight and gestational weight gain moderate the association between nativity and birth outcomes in the United States. Methods: We conducted a systematic review using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We searched PubMED, CINAHL, PsychInfo, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for relevant articles published before May 27, 2016. Results: Four articles met the eligibility criteria by adjusting for pre-pregnancy or gestational weight gain when examining birth outcomes by nativity. Results: Results from these studies show statistically significant differences in the risk of delivering low birth weight babies between foreign-born and U.S.-born women. These differences remained after adjusting for pre-pregnancy weight or gestational weight gain. However, results stratified by nativity still vary significantly by race/ethnicity. Conclusion: Few investigations include pre-pregnancy weight and gestational weight gain when examining differences in birth outcomes by nativity. Additional studies are needed to examine possible effect modification of these weight variables on the association between nativity and birth outcomes.