Warning labels on alcohol containers as a source of information on alcohol consumption in pregnancy among New Zealand women.
BACKGROUND
The addition of a warning label on alcohol containers is a policy measure yet to be adopted in New Zealand. The current study aims to report the rating of a national sample of 16-40-year-old non-pregnant New Zealand women on a warning label on alcohol containers as a source of information on risks associated with alcohol consumption in pregnancy.


METHODS
A nationwide, cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2005 on a random sample of 1129 non-pregnant women aged 16-40 years. Data were collected via an interviewer-administered questionnaire using a Web-assisted telephone interviewing system.


RESULTS
Overall, the survey achieved a response rate of 65%. Just over half of the women surveyed (53%; 95% CI 50.2-56.0) gave a high rating for a warning label as a source of information on alcohol consumption in pregnancy. Women below 30 years of age and who were of non-European ethnicity were more likely to give a high rating compared with older women and European women, respectively (p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Introduction of a warning label on alcohol containers in New Zealand may be effective in increasing awareness of the risks associated with alcohol consumption in pregnancy among at-risk drinkers, namely, younger women and New Zealand women of Maori and Pacific ethnicities. However, to accentuate behavioural change, other prevention approaches within a health promotion framework may be needed to complement this approach.
Parackal
Sherly M
SM
Centre for Asian Health Research and Evaluation, Social and Community Health, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand. s.parackal@auckland.ac.nz
Parackal
Mathew K
MK
Harraway
John A
JA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000329:Advertising; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D043762:Reproductive Behavior; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016387:Women's Health