Vaping guidance and women's decision-making during pregnancy & postpartum.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to understand the experiences and decision-making processes of pregnant and postpartum women who vape nicotine, cannabis, or both, to inform health guidance in the absence of clear research.
Results Summary
The study found that women sought information on vaping's health effects during pregnancy but faced conflicting advice, leading to ambivalence in their decisions. Societal judgment and limited research influenced their practices, with some vaping privately due to uncertainty.
Population
Pregnant and postpartum women (within 2 years post-delivery) who vaped nicotine, cannabis, or both.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified (qualitative interviews, no intervention period)
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
vaping nicotine during pregnancy and/or after delivery | no change | appropriate prevention, health promotion and intervention | women who vape during pregnancy and/or within 2 years post-partum | - | remains under researched and under reported | #1 |
vaping cannabis during pregnancy and/or after delivery | no change | appropriate prevention, health promotion and intervention | women who vape during pregnancy and/or within 2 years post-partum | - | remains under researched and under reported | #2 |
vaping during pregnancy | neutral | health effects | pregnant and post-partum women who vape(d) nicotine, cannabis, or both | - | women looked for information on the health effects | #3 |
BACKGROUND: Vaping during pregnancy remains under researched and under reported, making appropriate prevention, health promotion and intervention difficult to design and mount. In this article we assessed the experiences and considerations of women who vape during pregnancy and/or within 2 years post-partum, in order to underpin realistic and informative health information for women and providers in face of conflicting and minimal guidance. DESIGN: 22 interviews were conducted with pregnant and post-partum women who vape(d) nicotine, cannabis, or both during pregnancy and/or after delivery. METHODS: Participants who were pregnant or postpartum were recruited via social media and interviews conducted on Zoom or by telephone, recorded and transcribed. Data were coded in NVivo 12 and analyzed using a combined deductive and inductive approach, and principles of abductive analysis were applied to the data. RESULTS: Three overarching themes related to decision making about vaping are described: women's agency in information seeking, approaches to assessing information, and ambivalence regarding vaping practices. Women looked for information on the health effects of vaping during pregnancy and made differing decisions in the context of limited research and guidance. At times, family, friends, partners, and internet resources influenced their decisions. Some women dealt with ambivalence by vaping only in private, while alone, and at home or as a convenience. The women were uniformly aware of societal judgement regarding pregnancy and substance use in general and feared being addressed by friends or strangers about vaping. CONCLUSION: In the absence of definitive research and unambiguous clinical guidance, the women felt limited in finding accurate advice, but demonstrated agency in information seeking and assessment. Nonetheless, they also recounted their ambivalence regarding their vaping decisions and practices. We created varied knowledge information products to fill this void.