Secondhand smoke prevention through the perceptions of pregnant women with smoking family members: a Thailand study

ABSTRACT

Purpose

Pregnant women with smoking family members are at risk of exposure to second-hand smoke, which leads to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Second-hand smoke prevention is thus important but remains less understood based on pregnant women’s perceptions. This study aimed to describe the perceptions of pregnant women on second-hand smoke prevention.

Methods

This study employed a qualitative descriptive approach. Data collection was performed between July and August 2023 through in-depth interviews with 17 pregnant women purposively selected from a province in central Thailand. The verbatim transcribed data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

Five themes emerged: unclear understanding of second-hand smoke; influences shaping perceptions related to second-hand smoke; attempt to prevent second-hand smoke exposure; barriers to prevention of second-hand smoke exposure; and needs related to prevention of second-hand smoke exposure.

Conclusion

The findings provide insights into second-hand smoke prevention from the perception of pregnant women with smoking family members. Healthcare professionals need to design interventions tailored to pregnant women’s needs and involve smoking family members. It is necessary to develop and incorporate clinical guidelines into standard prenatal care to support healthcare personnel in identifying, assessing, educating, and mitigating the issue of second-hand smoking exposure.

KEYWORDS:

• Perceptions
• pregnant women
• prevention
• second-hand smoke
• smoking family members

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the participants for their participation in this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2024.2326109

Notes

1. * In Thai culture, women sometimes refer to their husband as “boyfriend.”

Additional information

Funding

The authors declare no support from any organization for the submitted work; no financial relationships with organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous three years; and no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Notes on contributors

Sunisa Chansaeng

Sunisa Chansaeng is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Public Health, Chiang Mai University, Thailand.

Waraporn Boonchieng

Waraporn Boonchieng is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Public Health, Chiang Mai University, Thailand.

Warangkana Naksen

Warangkana Naksen is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Public Health, Chiang Mai University, Thailand.