title: The epidemiology of drinking among women of child-bearing age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of drinking, binge drinking (4 or more drinks), and alcohol abuse and dependence and to identify predictors of heavier drinking among women of child-bearing age (18-44 years).
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects are part of a national multistage random sample from the 2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Binge drinking, abuse, and dependence are higher in younger (<30 years) pregnant and nonpregnant women. Among pregnant women, binge drinking is highest among Whites; alcohol abuse and dependence rates are relatively low and similar in all racial/ethnic groups. Among nonpregnant women, Whites and mixed race women have the highest rates of binge drinking. Alcohol abuse and dependence are highest among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, followed by Native American/Alaska Native women. Women who are White, younger (21-29 years), single, or cohabiting and with a higher income (> 40,000 US dollars) are at a higher risk for heavier drinking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Drinking and heavier drinking remain at high levels among women of child-bearing age. Prevention efforts must be comprehensive and should target pregnant women who are drinking and those who could become pregnant and are drinking at high-risk levels.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston, Dallas Regional Campus, Houston, Texas 75390, USA. Raul.Caetano@UTSouthwestern.edu
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caetano
authors.forename: Suhasini
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramisetty-Mikler
authors.forename: Louise R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Floyd
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McGrath
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D017533:Marital Status; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013695:Temperance; D044465:White People; D016387:Women's Health