Introduction:
Despite maternal smoking being linked with poor maternal and pregnancy outcomes, 15% of Romanian women continue smoking during pregnancy emphasizing the need for cessation programs. The study aims to identify predictors of moderate to high nicotine dependence in a sample of smoker Romanian pregnant women.

Methodology:
Data was collected through an ongoing cross-sectional pilot study from 91 smoker pregnant women enrolled from Facebook, forums, or online groups. We assessed smoking behaviors, socio-demographics, medical and reproductive history, emotional health, and quality of relationship with the partner. Nicotine dependence was measured using the Heaviness of smoking index, calculated according to the Fagerstorm Test for Nicotine Dependence Instrument. We conducted descriptive statistics and binary logistic regressions to identify predictors of moderate to high nicotine dependence among smoker pregnant women (N=91) from our sample.

Results:
The mean age of the participants was of 29.95 years (SD=5.279; range 19-41). Around 63.7% (N=58) pregnant women had moderate to high nicotine dependence. Logistic regressions showed that pregnant women aged over 31 (Odds ratio: 11,215, p=0.67, CI: .843-149,220) were more likely to have a moderate to high nicotine dependence as opposed to their younger counterparts. Negative partner interaction was also a predictor of a moderate to high nicotine dependence in pregnant women (Odds ratio: 1,302, p=0.95, CI: .955-1,775).

Conclusions:
Our results suggest a need to design couple-based smoking cessation programs to encourage positive partner interactions and support pregnant women to quit smoking.