Addressing smoking cessation among pregnant Aboriginal women: challenges and gaps in knowledge

The high prevalence of smoking among pregnant Aboriginal women – including First Nations, Inuit and Métis women - has been identified as a public health concern in Canada. There is a paucity of research exploring socio-cultural influences on maternal smoking cessation and culturally appropriate interventions for Aboriginal women. Aboriginal people embrace a holistic view that reflects the interrelatedness of the physical, spiritual, emotional and mental dimensions of health. These must be acknowledged when addressing smoking cessation. In order to address the high prevalence of Aboriginal women who smoke during pregnancy there is a need for a better understanding of women’s experiences of smoking during pregnancy and their own knowledge, beliefs and personal barriers with regard to quitting smoking. The purpose of this paper is to identify the challenges and knowledge gaps in addressing Aboriginal maternal smoking cessation, in addition to proposing specific culturally appropriate recommendations for future research.