Pregnancy & Smoking Research Study
Researchers at the University of Minnesota are conducting a study on how progesterone, a naturally occurring hormone, may help women quit smoking and remain smoke-free after childbirth.
Fast Facts
Ages 18-45 Currently Pregnant or Within 6 Months Postpartum
Current Smoker Interested in Quitting or Former Cigarette Smoker
Compensation
Provided
Conducted in
Minneapolis, MN
Study Background
This study aims to help women in Minnesota quit smoking and stay smoke-free after pregnancy.
Quitting smoking can be especially difficult during the stress of postpartum life. Many women who stop smoking during pregnancy begin again within the first year after giving birth. Researchers want to understand whether progesterone, a hormone that rises during pregnancy and falls sharply after childbirth, can help prevent relapse and support long-term health for mothers and their families.
By studying progesterone’s role in smoking behavior, researchers hope to find new ways to support women through the postpartum period, improving health outcomes and reducing secondhand smoke exposure for both mothers and their children.
Study Background
This study aims to help women in Minnesota quit smoking and stay smoke-free after pregnancy.
Quitting smoking can be especially difficult during the stress of postpartum life. Many women who stop smoking during pregnancy begin again within the first year after giving birth. Researchers want to understand whether progesterone, a hormone that rises during pregnancy and falls sharply after childbirth, can help prevent relapse and support long-term health for mothers and their families.
By studying progesterone’s role in smoking behavior, researchers hope to find new ways to support women through the postpartum period, improving health outcomes and reducing secondhand smoke exposure for both mothers and their children.
Additional Information
In this research study, we are trying to understand the way depression develops in young people. We aim to better understand the development of the brain’s dopamine and reward systems in young people with depression. Anhedonia is related to function in the brain’s reward circuit, inflammation in the body, and people’s experiences and behaviors, and we will measure all of these. We also want to see whether we can understand anhedonia by using treatments that could improve it. To do that, we are using neuroscience to guide us, providing activities that have been used to treat depression and target the brain’s reward circuit, which is believed to be the source of anhedonia.
You may be eligible for this study if you meet the following criteria.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Ages 18-45
- Currently pregnant or within 6 months postpartum
- Current smoker interested in quitting or former cigarette smoker
- Live in Minnesota
Participation lasts about 4–5 months and includes:
10 visits (remote or at-home)
Weekly surveys
Health and mood questionnaires
Sample collection (conducted by study staff)
You’ll stay in contact with study staff through phone, email, text, or mail, and you can choose to meet remotely or in person.
Participants can earn up to $772 for completing all study activities.
There is no cost for you to participate in our research study.