Smoking and Depressed Mood in Pregnancy
Author Information
Author(s): Lewis Sarah J., Araya Ricardo, Davey Smith George, Freathy Rachel, Gunnell David, Palmer Tom, Munafò Marcus
Primary Institution: University of Bristol
Hypothesis
Does smoking during pregnancy cause depressed mood, or is the association due to confounding factors?
Conclusion
The study found that smoking does not cause depressed mood during pregnancy, but may be used as a self-medication strategy by women experiencing low mood.
Supporting Evidence
- Women who smoked prior to pregnancy were 2.5 times more likely to report depressed mood.
- The T allele of the rs1051730 variant was associated with lower levels of reported depressed mood.
- Smoking cessation was linked to a reduction in reported low mood among pregnant women.
Takeaway
Women who smoke during pregnancy might feel less depressed, but smoking doesn't actually cause depression; it could be a way to cope with feeling sad.
Methodology
The study used Mendelian randomization to analyze the association between a genetic variant related to smoking and depressed mood in pregnant women.
Potential Biases
Potential reporting bias in self-reported smoking status and mood assessments.
Limitations
The study relied on self-reported measures of smoking and mood, and did not conduct psychiatric interviews for depression.
Participant Demographics
Pregnant women from Bristol, England, with a sample size of 6294.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.034
Confidence Interval
95% CI 0.72 to 0.99
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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