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Determinants of Alcohol Consumption in Women Before and After Awareness of Conception

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Abstract

Objectives

We examined the socio-demographic and behavioral factors associated with alcohol consumption before and after pregnancy awareness in pregnant women.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 91,828 pregnant women in a nationwide Japanese birth cohort study from 2011 to 2014. Alcohol consumption before and after pregnancy awareness, and sociodemographic behavioral characteristics were assessed through self-reported questionnaires. Determinants of alcohol consumption were investigated using logistic regression.

Results

Prevalence of alcohol consumption before and after pregnancy awareness was 50.0% and 2.8%, respectively. Most women consumed low to moderate levels of alcohol. Before pregnancy awareness, high educational level (odds ratios [OR] 1.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07 to 1.15), high household income (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.24), and smoking (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.65 to 1.90) were significantly associated with increased odds of alcohol consumption. After pregnancy awareness, older age (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.54 to 1.94) and smoking (OR 5.57, 95% CI 4.88 to 6.37) were significantly associated with increased odds of alcohol consumption, and high education level (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.81) and high household income (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.89) were significantly associated with decreased odds of alcohol consumption.

Conclusion

A half of women consumed alcohol before pregnancy awareness. Guidelines recommend abstinence from alcohol consumption in pregnant women for precaution, although influence of low to moderate levels of prenatal alcohol exposure on the fetus is inconclusive. Social-demographic characteristics differed between women who consumed alcohol before pregnancy awareness and women who continued alcohol after pregnancy awareness.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the Ministry of the Environment, Japan. The findings and conclusions of this article are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not represent the official views of the government. The authors would like to thank all participants in the study and the staff members of the JECS. Members of the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS) as of 2017 (principal investigator, Toshihiro Kawamoto) are as follows: Reiko Kishi (Hokkaido Regional Center for JECS, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan); Nobuo Yaegashi (Miyagi Regional Center for JECS, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan); Koichi Hashimoto (Fukushima Regional Center for JECS, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan); Chisato Mori (Chiba Regional Center for JECS, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan); Shuichi Ito (Kanagawa Regional Center for JECS, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan); Zentaro Yamagata (Koshin Regional Center for JECS, University of Yamanashi, Chuo, Japan); Hidekuni Inadera (Toyama Regional Center for JECS, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan); Michihiro Kamijima (Aichi Regional Center for JECS, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Japan); Takeo Nakayama (Kyoto Regional Center for JECS, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan); Hiroyasu Iso (Osaka Regional Center for JECS, Osaka University, Suita, Japan); Masayuki Shima (Hyogo Regional Center for JECS, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Japan); Yasuaki Hirooka (Tottori Regional Center for JECS, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan); Narufumi Suganuma (Kochi Regional Center for JECS, Kochi University, Nankoku, Japan); Koichi Kusuhara (Fukuoka Regional Center for JECS, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan); and Takahiko Katoh (South Kyushu/Okinawa Regional Center for JECS, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Research Center for Japan Environment and Children’s Study, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, 2-10-1 Okura, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 1578535, Japan

    Kazue Ishitsuka, Kiwako Hanada-Yamamoto, Hidetoshi Mezawa, Mayako Saito-Abe, Mizuho Konishi & Yukihiro Ohya

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  1. Kazue Ishitsuka
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  2. Kiwako Hanada-Yamamoto
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  3. Hidetoshi Mezawa
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  4. Mayako Saito-Abe
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  5. Mizuho Konishi
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  6. Yukihiro Ohya
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Consortia

for the Japan Environment and Children’s Study Group

  • Reiko Kishi
  • , Nobuo Yaegashi
  • , Koichi Hashimoto
  • , Chisato Mori
  • , Shuichi Ito
  • , Zentaro Yamagata
  • , Hidekuni Inadera
  • , Michihiro Kamijima
  • , Takeo Nakayama
  • , Hiroyasu Iso
  • , Masayuki Shima
  • , Yasuaki Hirooka
  • , Narufumi Suganuma
  • , Koichi Kusuhara
  •  & Takahiko Katoh

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Correspondence to Kazue Ishitsuka.

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Ishitsuka, K., Hanada-Yamamoto, K., Mezawa, H. et al. Determinants of Alcohol Consumption in Women Before and After Awareness of Conception. Matern Child Health J 24, 165–176 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-019-02840-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-019-02840-2

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