Reduced alcohol use in pregnancy and changed attitudes in the population.
The objectives of this study were to investigate (1) changes in consumption of alcohol among pregnant women over a period of 5 years (1984/85-1990), (2) changes of attitudes towards drinking during pregnancy in the general population over the same period of time, and (3) possible connections between (1) and (2). The investigation was designed as a cross-sectional study. Our subjects were two representative samples of pregnant women in Oslo, n = 377 and 425, and two representative samples of the Norwegian population, n = 1004 and 1204. The main outcome measures were a self-completed questionnaire for the pregnant women and a personal interview for the general population sample. There was a significant reduction (50% decrease) in alcohol consumption among the second cohort of pregnant women compared with the first. Furthermore, we found an increase during the 5-year period in the number of persons with a restrictive attitude towards alcohol use during pregnancy. There seems to be a connection between these two phenomena, but with our present state of knowledge it is hard to say anything about the causal relationship between them.
Ihlen
B M
BM
National Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research, Oslo, Norway.
Amundsen
A
A
Trønnes
L
L
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000517:prevention & control; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D063647:Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009664:Norway; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D013695:Temperance / Q000523:psychology*