Coast women lighting the fuse
A LEADING expert says higher rates of smokers among Gold Coast mums-to-be is a worry — and partners could be to blame.
A My Healthy Communities report commissioned by the Federal Government found that 10.8 per cent of pregnant women surveyed on the Gold Coast between 2013-15 admitted to smoking.
The figure was almost three per cent higher than the metropolitan average of 7.9. The national average was 11 per cent.
Nearly 12 per cent of pregnant women who lived in Southport and Gold Coast north — from Labrador to Paradise Point — smoked.
Professor John Lowe, from the University of the Sunshine Coast, who specialises in research on pregnant smokers, said the one of the factors behind the high rates could be due to having a partner who smokes.
“... we see much higher rates (in) 18-24 year olds and also individuals whose partners smoke,” he said.
“There’s very limited people that don’t smoke who are with a smoking partner.
“So, just if you ask five nonsmoking high school students, they will report four or five of their friends don’t smoke. If you ask a smoker if his friend’s don’t smoke, they will say zero or one (don’t smoke). Smokers tend to cluster together.”
Low socio-economics and a lack of education was also a big factor, Prof Lowe said.
According to the 2016 census
data, almost one quarter of Southport residents earn less than $650 a week. Residents in Gold Coast north earn $604 a week, on average.
Residents in Nerang generally earn $661 per week while those in Tweed Valley have a weekly wage of just $539.
Residents at Broadbeach were generally paid $754 weekly, while MudgeerabaTallebudgera residents earned just under $700 per week.
“Because the Gold Coast is classified as a metropolitan area, are the (statistics) high? Are they something to be concerned about? Definitely, yes,” Prof Lowe said.
Regional areas were generally even worse, with up to 18 per cent of women smoking while pregnant.