Women Exposed to Tobacco Increasing in Developing Countries

10th March 2008 – Smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths among people across the globe. It is found that smoking in developing nations is increasing among women and, even more shocking, pregnant women.

According to US government researchers, the number of pregnant women smokers is growing at an alarming pace in many developing nations around the globe.

This study is published in the American Journal of Public Health and was carried out at National Cancer Institute’s Tobacco Control Research Branch.

Researchers said that women and children are turning to active smoking after they are exposed to passive smoke in their homes. Their experiments with active smoking can lead to serious smoking related diseases such as cancers, heart diseases and other health problems.

Method of study

Researchers carried out about 8000 interviews with pregnant women at 10 study sites in nine countries. The study sites in Latin America include Argentina, Uruguay, Ecuador, Brazil, and Guatemala. In Africa, study sites were at Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In India, there were two study sites and one was in Pakistan.

Results of Study

According to researchers, 18 percent of pregnant women were smokers. One third of women used smokeless tobacco and half of the women were exposed to passive smoking.

Michele Bloch of the Control Research Branch said, “Pregnant women’s tobacco use and exposure to second hand smoke threaten to impede or reverse ongoing efforts to improve maternal and child health in the developing world.”

According to Bloch, there were only about 9 percent of women smokers in the developing world in the past due to strong ethical taboos of their culture. However, the present trends represent a big cultural shift.

Smoking trends around the world

• Latin America showed high prevalence of cigarette smoking, particularly in Uruguay.78 percent of all pregnant women had tried a cigarette in Uruguay
• In Argentina, about 75 percent of women interviewed had tried smoking
• In Latin America, many women had experimented with smoking
• In Indian state of Orissa it was reported that about one in third of the women interviewed used smokeless tobacco.
• In Pakistan, highest exposure to second hand smoke was found among women

Bloch said, “Young children in Pakistan are frequently or always exposed to tobacco smoke indoors. The numbers were also high in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and one of the Indian states.”

Effects of smoking in women, adults and children

• Smoking among women can lead to fetal and maternal health risk. It can result in premature delivery, low birth weight, and sudden infant death
• Smoking can cause many types of cancers including lung cancer. The use of smokeless tobacco can lead to oral and pancreatic cancers
• In children, second hand smoke can lead to lung problems like pneumonia

Brief Description

Rising number of pregnant women smokers in developing nations can lead to serious health risks, says a study in the US.