Maternal personality traits associated with patterns of prenatal smoking and exposure: Implications for etiologic and prevention research

•Birth mothers in an adoption study reported on smoking patterns and personality.•In lifetime smokers, harm avoidance directly related to smoking during pregnancy.•Pregnancy abstainers had higher self-directedness than pregnancy smokers.•Having a biological relative with addiction predicted cigarettes/day in pregnancy.•Abstaining from smoking during pregnancy may reflect positive characteristics.

BackgroundLittle is known about the characteristics of women who smoke during pregnancy beyond demographic factors. We examined the relationship between novelty seeking, harm avoidance, and self-directedness and (a) abstinence from smoking during pregnancy and (b) average daily cigarette consumption during pregnancy.MethodsParticipants were 826 birth mothers who made adoption placements in the Early Growth and Development Study and completed the Temperament and Character Inventory — Short Form, and interview-based smoking assessments 3–6 months postpartum. Never smokers (n = 199), pregnancy abstainers (n = 277), pregnancy light smokers (n = 184), and pregnancy heavy smokers (n = 166) were compared on personality dimensions and smoking-related processes. Using regression analyses we examined relationships between personality and (a) abstinence versus smoking during pregnancy; and (b) average daily cigarette consumption among lifetime smokers, controlling for nicotine dependence, birth father substance dependence, maternal antisocial behavior, and depressive symptoms during pregnancy.ResultsSmokers with higher self-directedness and lower harm avoidance were more likely to abstain during pregnancy [O.R. 1.380; 95% C.I. (1.065–1.787); B(SE) = .322(.132); p = .015] and [O.R. .713; 95% C.I. (.543–.935); B(SE) = −.339(.138); p = .014], respectively. Novelty seeking differentiated never smokers from lifetime smokers (t = − 3.487; p = .001), but was not significant in multivariate models. Lifetime smokers who abstained during pregnancy reported fewer depressive symptoms relative to never smokers.ConclusionsPersonality dimensions associated with abstinence from smoking and cigarettes per day during pregnancy may be important to consider in etiologic and intervention research.