RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this study were to examine smoking habits in relation to the reproductive events of pregnancy and menopause and clarify the reasons for smoking cessation among ex-smokers. METHOD: This is a cross-sectional study based on a baseline survey of a prospective cohort study. From 2001 to 2007, a self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted on 49,927 female nurses from all 47 prefectures in Japan. Logistic regression models were used to estimate age-adjusted odds ratios. RESULTS: Of the respondents, 17.2% were current smokers, 11.6% were ex-smokers and 69.8% had never smoked. The prevalence of smoking during pregnancy was 7.8%. Among ex-smokers, 30.3% gave "reproductive events" as their reason for smoking cessation. Current smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked per day before menopause were significantly related to onset of menopause. CONCLUSION: Women's smoking habits have mutual relationships with reproductive events such as pregnancy and menopause. Although "reproductive events" were an important reason for smoking cessation among women, 7.8% of women still smoked during pregnancy. Smoking was correlated with onset of menopause. Support for smoking cessation is an important healthcare issue throughout women's lifetimes.
