title: A qualitative investigation of alcohol use advice during pregnancy: experiences of Dutch midwives, pregnant women and their partners.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  two studies aimed to explore the advice Dutch midwives give and the information Dutch pregnant women and partners of pregnant women receive about alcohol consumption in pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  study 1 included individual semi-structured interviews with midwives. Study 2 involved focus groups and individual semi-structured interviews with pregnant women and partners. Interview content was based on the I-Change Model.
  
  
  METHODS
  study 1 was conducted nation-wide; Study 2 was conducted in the central and southern regions of the Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  10 midwives in Study 1; 25 pregnant women and nine partners in Study 2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  study 1 showed that midwives intended to advise complete abstinence, although this advice was mostly given when women indicated to consume alcohol. Midwives reported to lack good screening skills and sufficient knowledge about the mechanisms and consequences of antenatal alcohol use and did not involve partners in their alcohol advice. In Study 2, the views of pregnant women and partners were congruent to the findings reported in Study 1. In addition, pregnant women and partners considered midwives as an important source of information on alcohol in pregnancy. Partners were interested in the subject, had a liberal view on antenatal alcohol use and felt ignored by midwives and websites. Pregnant women indicated to receive conflicting alcohol advice from their health professionals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  midwives' alcohol advice requires improvement with regard to screening, knowledge about mechanisms and consequences of antenatal alcohol use and the involvement of the partners in alcohol advice during pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  training should be given to Dutch midwives to increase their screening skills and their alcohol related knowledge to pregnant women. Research is needed to determine how the midwife's alcohol advice to the partner should be framed in order to optimise the partner's involvement concerning alcohol abstinence in pregnancy. More attention to the topic at a national level, for example via mass media campaigns, should also be considered to change views about alcohol use during pregnancy in all stakeholders.
authors: Dutch Institute for Alcohol Policy (STAP), P.O. Box 9769, 3506 GT Utrecht, The Netherlands; Maastricht University/CAPHRI/Department of Health Promotion, Maastricht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: nvanderwulp@stap.nl.
authors: Nickie Y
authors: NY
authors: van der Wulp
authors: Ciska
authors: C
authors: Hoving
authors: Hein
authors: H
authors: de Vries
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008880:Midwifery / Q000379:methods*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol advice; Midwife; Partner; Pregnancy