ABSTRACT
Objectives FAS/FAE is a preventable public health concern. Minnesota alone spends $45 million annually for treatment and care of FAS. Prenatal health care providers play a critical role in FAS/FAE prevention. Hennepin County Fetal Alcohol Project aims to assess current practice of prenatal alcohol screening and intervention among prenatal care providers and to recommend practice improvements.
Methods A survey was sent to all prenatal care providers in Hennepin County in 2000, with a 57% (n=232) response rate.
Findings Beliefs Almost all providers (>96%) agree or strongly agree that prenatal alcohol screening is necessary; counseling is effective; and they feel comfortable to discuss this issue with pregnant women.
Practice Only 54% of providers always ask pregnant women about alcohol use; 51% never/seldom ask about partners’ alcohol use, and 30% don’t recommend abstinence to women who are currently consuming alcohol. Most providers (53%) don’t ask about alcohol use again if pregnant women initially report no drinking and 49% don’t inquire about alcohol use at each subsequent visit when alcohol use is either reported or suspected.
Disconnect There is a disconnect between beliefs and practices of providers. The relationships of characteristics of providers and practice settings, alcohol education, the availability of alcohol education/counseling/referral services to providers’ beliefs and practices are analyzed. Multivariate analyses are performed to further investigate how these factors independently contribute to the disconnect.
Implications The presentation will discuss the implications of study findings for improving prenatal alcohol screening and care, and for making systematic changes to prevent FAS/FAE.
See www.co.hennepin.mn.us
Learning Objectives: 1. Describe the beliefs and practices of prenatal health care providers on prenatal alcohol screening and follow up. 2. Recognize the disconnect between beliefs and practices of prenatal care providers with respect to alcohol screening and follow up, and how providers’ characteristics, practice settings, availability of alcohol education, counseling, and referral services contribute to the disconnect. 3. Discuss the implications of these findings for the improvement of prenatal care practices, and FAS/FAE prevention.
Keywords: Alcohol Use, Prenatal Interventions
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Hennepin County Community Health Department
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Handout (.doc format, 41.5 kb)