Alcohol use during pregnancy is high despite the well-established evidence on its adverse pregnancy outcomes and low child development. Early identification and behavioral modification are of great significance. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of alcohol use during pregnancy among women in the Dodoma region.
Researchers included three hundred sixty-five randomly selected pregnant women attending antenatal care services in the Dodoma region. Structured questionnaires were used to assess sociodemographic characteristics and alcohol use. Both descriptive and inferential analyses were used to estimate the prevalence and independent relationships of alcohol use factors in pregnancy, respectively.
Results showed a prevalence of 15.1% out of the 365 women attending antenatal services in the Dodoma region. Prepregnancy alcohol use and having relatives who use alcohol were associated with alcohol use, respectively. Moreover, other associated factors included low education status, making local brews as a source of income, and not having had complications in previous pregnancies.
There is a significantly high prevalence of alcohol use during pregnancy in Dodoma. Social networks and low social, economic status were associated with alcohol use in pregnancy. There is a need for public health interventions to address alcohol use, mainly targeting women of reproductive age with low socioeconomic status.
Reference: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jp/2018/8580318/
