Influences on drinking choices among Indigenous and non-Indigenous pregnant women in Australia: a qualitative study

Gibson, Sophie, Nagle, Cate, Paul, Jean, McCarthy, Leisa, and Muggli, Evelyne (2020) Influences on drinking choices among Indigenous and non-Indigenous pregnant women in Australia: a qualitative study. PLoS One, 15 (4). e0224719.

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Abstract

Despite women's awareness that drinking alcohol in pregnancy can lead to lifelong disabilities in a child, it appears that an awareness alone does not discourage some pregnant women from drinking. To explore influences on pregnant women's choices around alcohol use, we conducted interviews and group discussions with 14 Indigenous Australian and 14 non-Indigenous pregnant women attending antenatal care in a range of socioeconomic settings. Inductive content analysis identified five main influences on pregnant women's alcohol use: the level and detail of women's understanding of harm; women's information sources on alcohol use in pregnancy; how this information influenced their choices; how women conceptualised their pregnancy; and whether the social and cultural environment supported abstinence. Results provide insight into how Indigenous Australian and non-Indigenous pregnant women understand and conceptualise the harms from drinking alcohol when making drinking choices, including how their social and cultural environments impact their ability to abstain. Strategies for behaviour change need to: correct misinformation about supposed 'safe' timing, quantity and types of alcohol; develop a more accurate perception of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder; reframe messages about harm to messages about optimising the child's health and cognitive outcomes; and develop a holistic approach encompassing women's social and cultural context.

Item ID: 63586
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1932-6203
Copyright Information: © 2020 Gibson et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,provided the originalauthorand source are credited.
Funders: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)
Projects and Grants: AIHW contract #0576_001
Date Deposited: 24 Jun 2020 07:49
FoR Codes: 42 HEALTH SCIENCES > 4204 Midwifery > 420499 Midwifery not elsewhere classified @ 100%
SEO Codes: 92 HEALTH > 9205 Specific Population Health (excl. Indigenous Health) > 920507 Womens Health @ 75%
92 HEALTH > 9203 Indigenous Health > 920399 Indigenous Health not elsewhere classified @ 25%
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