The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #47787

Jane A. Witbrodt, MPH, Alcohol Research Group, 2000 Hearst Ave. Ste. 300, Berkeley, CA 94709, (510) 642-5208, jwitbrodt@arg.org

We recruited and followed a sample of urban African American and Native American women throughout pregnancy, to study the relationship between drinking during pregnancy and exposure to health warning messages about drinking during pregnancy. Many women were heavy drinkers in the year before pregnancy: A third of the African American drinkers drank daily and 43% of the Native American drinkers binged (5+) weekly. They also drank stronger beverages such as malt liquor and fortified wine (which accounted for 30% of pre-pregnancy consumption among African American drinkers and 15% among Native American drinkers), and consumed them in larger-than-standard drink sizes (median malt liquor drink among daily drinkers was almost three times as large as the standard, fortified wine four times the standard). Although most women quit drinking entirely or reduced their drinking to less than a drink a month, 4 women were still drinking at risk levels during their third trimester. This paper profiles these women in-depth, in terms of knowledge of the risk, exposure to and belief in health warning messages, and the extent of intervention from providers and others. Beverage preference and drink size are considered. Parity, prior pregnancy drinker, and other known predictors of risk are examined. In light of their knowledge and attitudes about drinking during pregnancy, as well as their level of consumption during pregnancy, we present practical recommendations regarding how to best intervene to reduce fetal caused by heavy alcohol consumption.

Learning Objectives: Attendees will

• know the drinking patterns (3 data points)of pregnant urban minority Native American and African American women most at risk for FAS, including their beverage preferences and drink sizes; and their exposure, knowledge and attitudes toward health warning messages about drinking during pregnancy, with an in-depth profile of the few women who continue to drink at levels that add insult to the developing fetus
  • be able to describe the impact of formal and informal warning messages about drinking during pregnancy for pregnant urban minority women, and describe predictors of at-risk pregnancy drinking
    and 3)have important new information regarding the relative value of educational interventions commonly used in the US to prevent FAS and be more able to develop effective interventions for pregnant women who do not respond to messages about abstinence.

    Keywords: Maternal and Child Health, Minority Research

    Presenting author's disclosure statement:
    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.

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    The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA