Abstract â–¡ 19

Tobacco use of women smokers is the most serious issue for Europe as well as for the rest of the world. The percentage of women smoking is still increasing in six EU countries. Smoking is one of the serious risk factors for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, therefore the urgency and necessity exists to address this issue from an educational global strategy issue.

Aim Research has shown how smoking among young girls in Ireland is increasing and they appear to be so resistant to health education messages. Although the rate of smoking among adults in Ireland is decreasing, smoking amongst young adolescent girls rises each year. As smoking is a very high risk factor in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome therefore the necessity of implementing an appropriate educational package about smoking and young women. Codd, Herity and Daly have found that 32% of primary school girls and 65% of post-primary girls either smoked regularly or had been experimenting with smoking. Health approaches are sometimes fail because they focus on long term disease prevention which for young women is not realistic as they feel that could never happen to them. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, primarily affects infants and young children and is therefore relevant to younger women of childbearing age. There is enormous potential in implementing an health educational package which would address the issues of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome within a conceptual framework of focussing on smoking.

Method The information presented here is a result of a descriptive study of a population profile conducted between the years of 1994, 1995 and 1996 yielding a population sample of 391 women. Women picked at random from the birth register in relation to certain dates and geographical location over a three year period.

Results show that over 54% of women less than 20 years of age are smoking. In those women who are less than 25 years of age 44% smoke, however when one focusses on the older age group only 29% smoke. Forty two per cent of the women who smoke have a medical card. Of those who are single having a baby 56% are smokers, as opposed to 28% smoking who are married. In the higher social classes that is social class 1 to 3, 23% smoke as opposed to 45% in the socially compromised group. Of those who finished school before the age of 16 years, 48% smoke. Fifty eight per cent who left school at primary level, smoke in comparison to 35% smoking after completing secondary education. Only 18% are smoking after completing third level education. When one explores the issue of smoking and pregnancy, 34% of mothers smoke on their first pregnancy, with 26% smoking on their second or third pregnancy with almost 40% smoking if they have four or more children. 33% of those women aged at 17 years of age or less when first pregnant smoked with those between 17 and 19 years of age, almost 64% of them smoked on their first pregnancy. In addition, those who breast fed, 19% smoked in comparison with 41% smoking who choose to bottle feed.

Discussion and Conclusion The discussion follows as to how best to implement an appropriate educational package to address the issue of young people smoking. The issue of young mothers smoking more amongst the socially compromised groups is significantly greater than other groups of young women therefore lending to the argument of the urgency and necessity of devising a specific educational package to address this group of women. Is it necessary to implement an educational package within the school that would address the issues of smoking and also utilise the opportunity in a structured way to inform young women of the various child care practices that may have an impact on their children's care and health. Peer education is essential in educational packages aimed at young women. School educational campaigns if properly implemented can then address issues on smoking. Obviously, it would be important to devise a package which would go through a rigorous evaluation process that would inspect the impact of a health educational message. A health educational package that would attack the issues of smoking and SIDS amongst women may have an impact not only on Irish girls but also across Europe. A concerted action right across Europe may be just what is required.