New rural health research involving UCRH’s Professor Megan Passey from the University Centre for Rural Health has contributed to an important update on how best to support women to stop smoking during pregnancy. The article, Psychosocial interventions for supporting women to stop smoking in pregnancy, was published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and brings together the latest evidence to inform policy and practice.
Smoking during pregnancy is a leading preventable cause of complications, with lasting impacts for both women and babies. While many women want to quit, the type and quality of support available can strongly influence success. This updated review focuses on psychosocial interventions that address behaviour, motivation and social context, rather than relying on medication alone.
The authors examined a wide range of high quality trials involving pregnant women who were smoking or had recently quit. Interventions included counselling, health education, personalised feedback, social support, incentives and exercise programs. These were compared with usual care or less intensive approaches to understand what works best in pregnancy.
Key outcomes included smoking abstinence in late pregnancy and after birth, along with infant outcomes such as birthweight, preterm birth, stillbirth and admissions to neonatal intensive care. Studies were identified through comprehensive database searches, with the most recent evidence included up to November 2025.
The findings highlight the value of tailored, supportive approaches that meet women where they are, particularly in rural and regional settings where access to services can be more limited. This work strengthens the evidence base for practical, compassionate support that can improve outcomes for women and babies.
