Exploring drinking patterns of White and Black pregnant and non-pregnant women

Background: In the United States, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is more common in the Black population than among Whites, though White women are more likely to drink and binge drink before pregnancy. Racial differences in drinking cessation may help explain the disparity in FAS rates.

Methods: Subjects were 300,367 non-Hispanic Black and White pregnant and non-pregnant women aged 18-44, respondents from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2001-2005 data sets. Predictors of alcohol consumption (in drinks per month) and binge drinking (>4 drinks on one occasion) by pregnant and non-pregnant women are identified, and significant interactions of income, education, and race were explored using analysis of variance.

Results: In the non-pregnant group, a greater percentage of White women drank and binge drank compared to Black women. The trend reverses for pregnant women, with Black women drinking and binge drinking more often. White women are 2.1 times more likely than Black women to stop drinking altogether, and 2.6 times more likely to quit binge drinking, upon becoming pregnant. Education, income, and race significantly contribute to a woman reducing the number of drinks per month upon becoming pregnant. The percent difference in binge drinking days between pregnant and non-pregnant women is greater for Whites (85%) than Blacks (56%).

Conclusions: White women appear more likely to reduce or suspend alcohol consumption during pregnancy than Black women, even after controlling for income and education.