Abstract
BackgroundTo explore women's alcohol consumption in pregnancy, and potential predictors of alcohol consumption in pregnancy including: demographic characteristics; and women's knowledge and attitudes regarding alcohol consumption in pregnancy and its effects on the fetus.MethodsWe conducted a national cross-sectional survey via computer assisted telephone interview of 1103 Australian women aged 18 to 45 years. Participants were randomly selected from the Electronic White Pages. Pregnant women were not eligible to participate. Quotas were set for age groups and a minimum of 100 participants per state to ensure a national sample reflecting the population. The questionnaire was based on a Health Canada survey with additional questions constructed by the investigators. Descriptive statistics were calculated and logistic regression analyses were used to assess associations of alcohol consumption in pregnancy with participants' characteristics, knowledge and attitudes.ResultsThe majority of women (89.4%) had consumed alcohol in the last 12 months. During their last pregnancy (n = 700), 34.1% drank alcohol. When asked what they would do if planning a pregnancy (n = 1103), 31.6% said they would consume alcohol and 4.8% would smoke. Intention to consume alcohol in a future pregnancy was associated with: alcohol use in the last pregnancy (adjusted OR (aOR) 43.9; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 27.0 to 71.4); neutral or positive attitudes towards alcohol use in pregnancy (aOR 5.1; 95% CI 3.6 to 7.1); intention to smoke in a future pregnancy (aOR 4.7; 95% CI 2.5 to 9.0); and more frequent and higher current alcohol consumption.ConclusionsWomen's past pregnancy and current drinking behaviour, and attitudes to alcohol use in pregnancy were the strongest predictors of alcohol consumption in pregnancy. Targeted interventions for women at higher risk of alcohol consumption in pregnancy are needed to change women's risk perception and behaviour.
Highlights
To explore women’s alcohol consumption in pregnancy, and potential predictors of alcohol consumption in pregnancy including: demographic characteristics; and women’s knowledge and attitudes regarding alcohol consumption in pregnancy and its effects on the fetus
We explored the associations between women’s alcohol consumption and their demographic characteristics, and their knowledge and attitudes regarding alcohol use in pregnancy and its effects on the fetus
The characteristics of respondents were similar to those of women in the Australian population overall, except that respondents were more likely to have been born in Australia, to have had a previous pregnancy, and to have achieved a higher level of education; and less likely to identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
Summary
To explore women’s alcohol consumption in pregnancy, and potential predictors of alcohol consumption in pregnancy including: demographic characteristics; and women’s knowledge and attitudes regarding alcohol consumption in pregnancy and its effects on the fetus. Alcohol is teratogenic and alcohol consumption during pregnancy may lead to growth restriction, birth defects, and structural and/or functional problems of the central nervous system in the exposed fetus [1,2]. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is associated with poor pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriage and premature labour [3]. Reported rates of alcohol use among young women vary, the majority of young women in many countries consume alcohol. Young women frequently report binge, risky and hazardous alcohol consumption [9,10,11]. Alcohol use can influence young women’s sexual behaviour and is associated with risk of unplanned pregnancy [12,13], and 46% of pregnancies in Australian women have been reported to be unplanned [14].
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