302139
Preconception and Prenatal Substance Use in the United States: The Role of Preconception Stressful Life Events
![142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual](images/banner.jpg)
Methods: Data were from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (n=9,350). Exposure to PSLEs was defined by indications of death of a parent, spouse, or previous live born child; divorce or marital separation; or fertility problems prior to conception. Survey data determined women’s alcohol and tobacco use during the three months prior to and in the final three months of pregnancy. Weighted regressions estimated the effect of PSLEs on alcohol and tobacco use at each time point and on the continuation of use, adjusting for confounders.
Principal Findings: Experiencing any PSLE increased the odds of tobacco use prior to (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.23-1.87) and during pregnancy (AOR: 1.57. 95% CI: 1.19-2.07). Exposed women smoked approximately five additional packs of cigarettes in the three months prior to pregnancy (P=0.010) and consumed 0.31 additional alcoholic drinks during the last three months of pregnancy than unexposed women.
Conclusions: Exposure to PSLEs is associated with tobacco use before pregnancy and both alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy. Alcohol and tobacco screening and cessation services should be implemented prior to and during pregnancy, especially for women who have experienced PSLEs.
Learning Areas:
EpidemiologyPublic health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Discuss the relationships among preconception stressful life events, alcohol and tobacco use prior to and during pregnancy, and the continuation of alcohol and tobacco use in the final three months of pregnancy.
Discuss programmatic and policy implications of our findings.
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the principal or co-principal of multiple federally funded grants focusing on the maternal and child health. Among my scientific interests has been the application of the life course approach to understanding the social, behavioral, and psychological factors that contribute to human development and disparities in health and healthcare in women, children, and families.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.