Among 101 low-income pregnant women, past-year sexual partner violence predicted marijuana use during pregnancy, while physical partner violence and childhood adversity predicted different levels of cigarette use.
Prenatal care providers, domestic violence advocates, and researchers studying trauma and substance use during pregnancy.
Sexual partner violence associated with marijuana use during pregnancy
What the researchers found
Sexual intimate partner violence was associated with marijuana use during pregnancy. Physical partner abuse predicted light cigarette use, while high childhood adversity predicted moderate cigarette use during pregnancy. Only 22.5% of prepregnancy smokers quit during pregnancy, compared to 68.1% of marijuana users.
Why it matters
Understanding why some pregnant women continue using substances despite knowing the risks requires looking at their lived experiences. Violence exposure appears to be an important and often overlooked driver of substance use during pregnancy.
The numbers in context
101 participants; 25% currently smoking cigarettes; 6.9% using marijuana during pregnancy; 22.5% of smokers quit vs 68.1% of marijuana users; sexual IPV associated with marijuana use
How the study worked
Cross-sectional study of 101 low-income pregnant women who were interviewed about past-year intimate partner violence, childhood adversity, and current cigarette and marijuana use. Multinomial regressions controlled for income and education.
What this study cannot tell us
Very small sample (101 participants). Cross-sectional design. Low-income, high-risk sample may not generalize. Self-reported substance use during pregnancy likely underreported.
How to read the evidence
Very small sample with cross-sectional design, though the focus on violence as a driver of prenatal substance use fills an important gap.
When this study was published
Published in 2021.
The bigger picture
Pregnant women who continue using substances may be coping with trauma. Cessation programs that fail to address underlying violence exposure and its psychological consequences may be less effective than integrated approaches.
Questions still open
- Would trauma-informed prenatal care improve substance cessation rates? Why did marijuana users quit at higher rates than cigarette smokers? Does the type of violence exposure affect which substances are used for coping?
Common questions
Why do some women use marijuana during pregnancy?
Were women able to quit once pregnant?
Read the original research
Women's Cigarette and Marijuana Use in Pregnancy: Identifying the Role of Past Versus Recent Violence Exposure.
Journal of interpersonal violence, 36(7-8), NP3982-NP3998
Citation
Miller-Graff, Laura E; Howell, Kathryn H; Grein, Katherine; Keough, Kathryn. (2021). Women's Cigarette and Marijuana Use in Pregnancy: Identifying the Role of Past Versus Recent Violence Exposure.. Journal of interpersonal violence, 36(7-8), NP3982-NP3998. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260518779068
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