MATERNAL SMOKING DURING PREGNANCY, AND OFFSPRING HAPPINESS AND DEPRESSION AT AGE 18: BIRTH COHORT STUDY

Menezes, Ana Maria

MATERNAL SMOKING DURING PREGNANCY, AND OFFSPRING HAPPINESS AND DEPRESSION AT AGE 18: BIRTH COHORT STUDY

Tuesday, 19 August 2014

Exhibit hall (Dena'ina Center)

Ana Maria B Menezes, PhD , Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil

Joseph Murray, PhD , University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England

Mitzi László, MD , Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil

Fernando C Wehrmeister, PhD , Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil

Pedro Hallal, PhD , Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil

Helen Gonçalves, PhD , Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil

Maria Cecilia Assunção, PhD , Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil

Carolina Menezes, PhD , Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil

Fernando C Barros, PhD , Catholic University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil

INTRODUCTION: Exposure to prenatal cigarette smoke can have adverse psychological effects on offspring. This study aimed to assess the association between parental smoking during pregnancy and offspring happiness at age 18, as well as depression.

METHODS: A birth cohort study was carried out in Pelotas, Southern Brazil (5,249 participants). Happiness was measured by the Subjective Happiness Scale, a likert-like scale with four questions generating a score from 1 to 7, with ≥ 6 indicating "happiness". Depression was measured using the Mini International Psychiatric Interview.

RESULTS: About one third of mothers reported having smoked during pregnancy, and 4.6% reported smoking 20 or more cigarettes a day. Among adolescents, the prevalence of happiness was 32.2% (95% CI 30.8; 33.7), depression 6.8% (95% CI 6.1; 7.6), and simultaneous happiness and depression less than 1%. The prevalence of happiness reduced as smoking in pregnancy increased, remaining significant after controlling for confounders (OR = 0.79 [95% CI 0.55;1.13]). Regarding depression, there was a dose-response relationship with mean number of cigarettes smoked per day during pregnancy (<20 cigarettes/day OR = 1.38 [95% CI 1.03; 1.84], and ≥20 cigarettes/day OR = 2.11[95% CI 1.31; 3.40]). Smoking by the partner was associated with decreased offspring happiness after adjusting for confounding variables, but not with offspring depression.

CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents were less likely to be happy and more likely to be depressed if their mother smoked during pregnancy. Also, they were less likely to be happy if their father smoked during mother’s pregnancy. Public policies aiming to reduce smoking in pregnancy could improve the offspring mental health in the short and long term.

KEYWORDS: smoking, depression, happiness, cohort studies