Harmful alcohol use among mothers of under-five child: findings from the Panel Study on Korean Children

Seulgi Kim,Sung-Il Cho,Seung-Ah Choe

doi:10.1186/s12905-021-01316-2

Abstract

BackgroundHarmful alcohol use in young mothers as a primary caregiver has a profound impact on their own health and interaction with the child. We studied the epidemiology of harmful alcohol use among Korean mothers and their partners of under-five children.MethodsWe used a longitudinal data of 2,150 Korean mothers of the Panel Study on Korean Children (PSKC). We assessed temporal trend and risk factors for harmful alcohol use in mothers using generalized estimating equation (GEE) model. To estimate the impact of maternal harmful alcohol use on the child, the association between neurodevelopment of the child measured by the Korean-Ages & Stages Questionnaire (K-ASQ) and maternal harmful alcohol use was analyzed using GEE and generalized linear mixed model. We included mother’s age, education, preterm, year of the survey and time-varying covariates (including maternal working status, monthly household income, plan for additional childbirth, psychological stress related with childcare, current smoking, and partner’s harmful alcohol use) in the model.ResultsMean age of mothers at the baseline was 31.3 years. Annual prevalence of harmful alcohol use increased from 0.7% in the 1st year to 2.6% in the 4th year (P for linear trend < 0.001). Prevalence of harmful alcohol use increased by 48% per year among the mothers (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.48, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22, 1.78). Lower education than college or university graduation was associated with higher odds of harmful alcohol use (2.52, 95% CI: 1.43, 4.45). Current smoking (7.44, 95% CI: 3.00, 18.45), harmful use of alcohol of partner (2.66, 95% CI: 1.57, 4.49) were associated with higher risk of harmful alcohol use in mothers. The association between low K-ASQ score and maternal harmful alcohol use was toward positive which did not reach statistical significance.ConclusionsIn a cohort of Korean mothers participating in the PKSC, risk of harmful alcohol use increases over time and is associated with harmful alcohol use of their partners. We suggest an approach targeting both parents can be more effective in controlling the harmful alcohol use of mothers.

Highlights

Harmful alcohol use in young mothers as a primary caregiver has a profound impact on their own health and interaction with the child
Because majority of the primary daytime caregivers were mothers (84%) in the Panel Study on Korean Children (PSKC) [21], we focused on the epidemiology of maternal harmful alcohol use and its impact
Assessment of the neurodevelopment of children To estimate potential effect of the maternal harmful alcohol use on their children, we explored the association between maternal harmful alcohol use and the score of Korean-Ages & Stages Questionnaire (K-ASQ)

Summary

Introduction

Harmful alcohol use in young mothers as a primary caregiver has a profound impact on their own health and interaction with the child. Harmful alcohol use among parents of young children has life-long impacts on their own health and development of their children [3,4,5]. The negative consequences of maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy and parental alcohol consumption during childhood and adolescence on child development have been studied with a particular focus on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) [6]. Harmful alcohol use in mothers as a primary caregiver can negatively affect interaction with the child and prenatal alcohol exposure of the second child [10, 11], more profoundly for the first 36 months of birth [12]. Children of alcohol-abusing parents are more likely to show alcohol or some other substance abuse and suffer from psychological disorders, poor academic performance compared to those with parents who do not abuse alcohol [13]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion