 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Louise Floyd, PHD1, Jorge Rosenthal, PhD,, MPH1, Jasjeet Sidhu, MD, MPH2, Mary M. Velasquez, PhD3, Patricia Dolan Mullen, DrPH4, Linda Sobell, PhD5, Mark B. Sobell, PhD5, Mary D. Nettleman, MD, MS6, and Karen Ingersoll, PhD6. (1) National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mail Stop F-49, 1600 Clifton RD, Atlanta, GA 30333, 770-488-7372, rlf3@cdc.gov, (2) NCBDDD/Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Prevention Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy, NE, MS-F49, Atlanta, GA 30341, (3) Medical School, University of Texas-Houston, UT Health Science Center, 6431 Fannin Street JJL 324, Houston, TX 77030, (4) University of Texas School of Public Health, University of Texas- Houston, 7000 Fannin, Suite 2522, Houston, TX 77030, (5) Center for Psychological Studies, Nova Southeastern University, 3301 College Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33314, (6) Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O.Box 980102, Richmond, VA
Prenatal alcohol exposure continues to pose a threat to healthy pregnancy outcomes for many U.S. women. Recent reports from the Centers for Disease Control find that in 1999 more than 500,000 women reported they drank during pregnancy, with more than 130,000 reporting they consumed 7 or more drinks per week and/or binge drank during pregnancy. Outcomes of prenatal alcohol exposure include Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and other birth defects and neurodevelopmental disorders. Many prenatal alcohol exposures occur prior to pregnancy recognition. Brief interventions using motivational interviewing techniques have been found effective among childbearing-age women in reducing harmful drinking patterns. In an effort to reduce alcohol-exposed pregnancies, CDC initiated a multi-site study in 1997 to investigate the use of a dual intervention focusing on both alcohol use reduction and effective contraception among childbearing-age women at high-risk for an alcohol-exposed pregnancy. Fertile women, 18-44 years of age who were sexually active, consuming more than 7 drinks per week and/or binge drinking, ineffectively contracepting but not planning to become pregnant were eligible to participate. Of the 2,384 women screen in Florida, Texas and Virginia, 230 women were eligible and 190 consented and enrolled. Participants received a maximum of 4 motivational counseling and 1 visit to a family planning provider. Data collection took place at baseline with a second wave of data collection at six months post-intervention. Information collected at baseline included the AUDIT which assesses drinking styles and consequences of drinking. At 6-month follow-up 143 (75%) women completed data collection. Baseline average AUDIT scores were 16.9 , ranging from 1-40. Scores above 8 indicate a strong likelihood of hazardous alcohol use. An inverse association was observed between AUDIT scores at baseline and successful intervention response at 6 months. Women with lowest AUDIT scores (1-7) reached the highest success rate (93%) compared to those with a score of 8-10 (69%,p<0.01); 11-18 (64%, p<0.05); 19-24 (59%,p<0.01); and 25-40 (59%,p<0.005). However, success rates for instituting effective contraception use were high and very similar among all AUDIT score categories (88%-93%) indicating that while some women drinking at hazardous levels at baseline might not have reduced their hazardous drinking, they did reduce their risk of an alcohol-exposed pregnancy by instituting effective contraception.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Prenatal Interventions, Alcohol
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.