Associations between lifestyle factors and smoking status during pregnancy in a group of Romanian women.

BACKGROUND: There is an estimated birth rate of 9.27 births/1,000 population in Romania each year, with approximately 8.4% born with low birth weight (LBW). Our purpose was to evaluate the relationships between maternal smoking and LBW and preterm birth in Mureș County, Romania.

METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1,278 mothers who had given birth in Mureș County obstetrical wards in 2015, based on a lifestyle questionnaire of 109 items and personal and laboratory data from hospitals records.

RESULTS: The variables associated with smoking during pregnancy taken into account were: Rroma ethnicity, education <8 grades, income lower than 140 dollars (minimum wages in our country), and lack of facilities in their households. In a multivariable model, smoking during pregnancy was correlated with a low level of education (p = .02), coffee and alcohol use (p = .0001), and lack of interest in potential environmental and behavioral risks during pregnancy (including smoking and diet). The newborn baby's weight was associated with smoker status of the mother (OR 1.71, 95%CI 1.09-2.66, p = .01), by the lack of ownership of a household (OR 3.52, 95%CI 2.27-5.47, p = .0001), and by the pregnant woman not receiving proper information regarding a healthy behavior and diet during pregnancy (OR 1.91, 95%CI 1.33-2.74, p = .0005).

CONCLUSION: Our study aimed to emphasize the high rates of maternal smoking during pregnancy and its importance in LBW outcomes in Romanian pregnant women. Moreover, the study highlights disparities in smoking status observed in ethnic minorities and those living in poverty.