 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Elizabeth K. Parra, MPH, Jasjeet Sidhu, MD, MPH, and R. Louise Floyd, DSN, RN. NCBDDD/Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Prevention Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy, NE, MS-F49, Atlanta, GA 30341, 770-488-4549, efp0@cdc.gov
Recent studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) find that one in eight pregnant women in the United States report consuming alcohol in the past month, with about one in 30 reporting levels of use that have been most consistently related to adverse outcomes for the child. Additional CDC prevalence reports indicate that fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) continues to be one of the most common, preventable developmental disabilities affecting children in the United States. Effective prevention of FAS and other prenatal alcohol-related conditions includes identifying women at highest risk and intervening with them prior to pregnancy. Project CHOICES, a clinical study using a preconception approach to preventing alcohol exposed pregnancies (AEPs), surveyed 2,672 women, 18 to 44 years of age, from six community-based settings. Descriptive analysis was conducted to explore variables to determine the differences between women at risk and not at risk for an AEP. Of the 2,672 women who were surveyed, 333 (12.5%) were identified as at risk for an AEP. The majority of the women not at risk (55%) and the majority of the women at risk (61%) (p=.03) reported they did not have any healthcare coverage. Of the women without healthcare coverage, 38% of the at-risk women and 23% (p<.001) of the not-at-risk women accessed care at a hospital emergency room. These data suggest that women at risk for an AEP are less likely to have healthcare coverage. One of the primary forms of healthcare coverage for these women is emergency room care. Therefore, emergency room providers should develop strategies designed to screen, refer, and intervene with women at risk for an AEP, as well as increase awareness through printed materials available in patient waiting rooms.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Access to Care, Pregnancy
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.