Alcohol Use during Pregnancy and Related Risk Factors in Korea

Abstract

ObjectiveThe number of Korean women of childbearing age who drink alcohol and binge drink has increased remarkably in recent years. In the present study, we examined self-reported rates of alcohol use before and during pregnancy and identified maternal characteristics associated with drinking in pregnancy.MethodsOne thousand pregnant Korean women who visited the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) completed a self-administered questionnaire that sought information on their demographic characteristics and incorporated features of the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT)-C to investigate their use of alcohol, including binge drinking, during three time periods ("in the year before this pregnancy," "during this pregnancy," and "in the previous 30 days").ResultsOf these participants, 16.4% reported using alcohol during their pregnancy, 12.2% had used alcohol in the previous 30 days, and 1.7% reported binge drinking during their pregnancy. In the year before pregnancy, 77.1% had used alcohol, and 22.3% had binge drunk. The group using any amount of any alcohol during pregnancy showed a lower educational level, a lower rate of planned pregnancy, a lower level of knowledge relating to the risks of drinking alcohol during pregnancy, and a higher frequency of alcohol drinking in the year before pregnancy when compared with the abstinent group. Low educational level and unplanned pregnancy were revealed to be significant risk factors for alcohol consumption in pregnant women.ConclusionThis is the first study to examine any alcohol and binge alcohol drinking during pregnancy in Korea. Clinical attention and monitoring system on alcohol use during pregnancy are necessary in Korea.

Interventions in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: An international perspective

“…Ceccanti and colleagues (2007) conducted similar work in Italy in order to more fully understand the Italian phenotype of FASD and the drinking habits of Italian women for the purposes of better targeting mechanisms for prevention and intervention. In Korea, Lee and colleagues (2010) also investigated prevalence of drinking during pregnancy and related risk factors specific to their population. Systematic investigation of cultural variables is key for successfully generalizing research on FASD.…”

Prevalence and factors associated with alcohol consumption during pregnancy

“…27 In addition to the absence of a steady partner, other maternal risk factors commonly associated with alcohol abuse are: aged over 30 years, low education, "non-white" skin color, use of tobacco and illicit drugs, as well as socio-economic vulnerability. 16,25,26,28 A recent review showed that women who are older, have lower education, are unmarried, unemployed, with lower stature, lower body mass index, nutritional status considered suboptimal, mental health problems, who suffered sexual abuse, who had fewer prenatal consultations, who are smokers, drug users and who have partners who also consumed alcohol are at increased risk of having a child with FASD. 1 In São Paulo city, research carried out by Mesquita and Segre 10 identified 31.1% of the postpartum women as positive T-ACE.…”

The effects of prenatal exposure to alcohol and environmental tobacco smoke on risk for ADHD: A large population-based study

“…According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey by Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013), the lifetime prevalence rate of smoking in men aged 30-39 years was 75%, and current smoking rate was 54.8%, while 55.3% of women aged 19-29 years were exposed to ETS. Lee et al (2010) reported 16.4% maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy in a sample of 1000 people. In our study also, 12.1% of pregnancies had maternal alcohol consumption.…”