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Monique B. Williams, PhD, Board on Health Sciences Policy, Institute of Medicine, 500 Fifth St, NW, Washington, DC 20001, 202-334-1880, mwilliams@nas.edu
Alcohol-exposed pregnancies (AEP) can lead to problems in fetal health and development. Research evidence suggests that, during the first trimester, exposure to one or more drinks per day may put a fetus at risk for birth defects. Selective interventions have targeted high-risk behaviors among women in community and university settings. Yet, there are limited estimates of AEP risk for the general population. Project CHOICES presented a framework for identifying women at risk for AEP. The current study employed that framework to generate nationally representative estimates of AEP risk in an attempt to inform prevention efforts.
Data were drawn from the National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2000. Following an algorithm proposed by Project CHOICES, women at risk for AEP were identified using measures of fecundity, contraceptive use, sexual activity, and heavier or binge drinking. The analysis was limited to women ages 20–49 (N= 1,369) because comparable drinking measures were not available for teenagers. Age-standardized rates were estimated by sociodemographics and other risk behaviors.
Preliminary results indicate that more than 5 percent of women ages 20–49 in the civilian noninstitutional population were at risk for AEP between 1999 and 2000. Age-standardized estimates of women at AEP risk were 6.3% for Non-Hispanic Whites, 2.9% for Non-Hispanic Blacks, and 2.7% for other women. Smokers had greater risk for AEP than non-smokers (p-value<0.01). Despite some limitations in the data, these results provide important information for prevention efforts aimed at lowering the AEP risk in the general population.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Pregnancy Outcomes, Alcohol Use
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.