NCHS Data Briefs

Data Brief, No. 305. Cigarette Smoking During Pregnancy: United States, 2016.

This data brief presents the prevalence of cigarette smoking at any time during pregnancy among women who gave birth in 2016 in the United States by state of residence as well as maternal race and Hispanic origin, age, and educational attainment. One in 14 women who gave birth in the United States in 2016 reported smoking during pregnancy. The prevalence of smoking during pregnancy was highest in West Virginia, followed by Kentucky, Montana, Vermont, and Missouri. The prevalence of smoking during pregnancy was lowest in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Texas, Utah, and D.C. Prevalence of smoking was highest among women aged 20–24, followed by women aged 15–19 and 25–29. Smoking during pregnancy was least prevalent among those aged 45 and over and those under age 15. Hispanic and non-Hispanic Asian women were least likely to smoke tobacco during pregnancy. Among the three largest race and Hispanic-origin groups, non-Hispanic white women had the highest prevalence of smoking during pregnancy, followed by non-Hispanic black women and Hispanic women. Smoking during pregnancy was most common among non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native mothers. The prevalence of smoking decreased with increasing education among women with a completed high school education or higher. Women with a bachelor’s degree or higher had a prevalence of smoking during pregnancy of 1.0% or less. Smoking during pregnancy was least prevalent among women with a master’s degree or higher. Data from the 2016 natality data file of the National Vital Statistics System were used for these analyses.

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