Objectives: Roughly 10% of pregnant women are current smokers. Improving smoking cessation in this population before and during pregnancy is essential to prevent adverse fetal outcomes. This study aimed to examine cessation messages targeting American women.
Methods: An obstetrics-gynecological clinic-based sample of female, current smokers of reproductive age (18-44 years old) was recruited (n = 135) from January to May 2019; half (51.2%) were currently pregnant. Participants completed a within-subjects study with a randomized set of gain- and loss-framed text-only pregnancy-related cessation messages (5 each). Each individual message was rated on a validated, 10-point scale for perceived effectiveness; responses to the seven items were averaged. Regression analyses examined differences in effectiveness ratings by message framing.
Results: Study participants (female smokers) rated the gain-framed messages as slightly more effective than loss-framed messages (7.9 versus 7.7, p < 0.01). After adjusting for quit intention and pregnancy, the relationship between gain- and loss-framing and effectiveness ratings was modified by both self-efficacy and risk perceptions. Women who perceived high risks of smoking during pregnancy had higher effectiveness ratings of both gain- and loss-framed cessation messages, compared to women who perceived low risks. Lower cessation self-efficacy was significantly associated with lower effectiveness ratings for gain- and loss-framed messages (1.53 and 1.92, respectively; p < 0.05).
Conclusions for practice: Women with lower self-efficacy and low risk perception of smoking risks had the lowered effectiveness ratings for both frames of cessation messages. Enhancing self-efficacy and risk perceptions through clinical interventions may improve the effectiveness of targeted messages to promote quitting smoking before or during pregnancy.
Keywords: Health communication; Pregnancy; Smoking; Tobacco.