The epidemiology of alcohol utilization during pregnancy: an analysis of the Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey (MES)
2011

Alcohol Use During Pregnancy in Canada

Sample size: 5882 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Meghan J Walker, Ban Al-Sahab, Farah Islam, Hala Tamim

Primary Institution: University of Toronto

Hypothesis

What are the prevalence and predictors of maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy among Canadian women?

Conclusion

About 10.8% of Canadian women reported drinking alcohol during pregnancy, primarily at low to moderate levels.

Supporting Evidence

  • 10.8% of women drank alcohol at some point during their pregnancies.
  • 95.8% of the sample were low to moderate level drinkers.
  • Women who were indifferent or unhappy about their pregnancies had a higher risk of drinking.

Takeaway

Some pregnant women in Canada still drink alcohol, which can be harmful to their babies. It's important to understand why this happens so we can help them stop.

Methodology

The study analyzed data from the Maternity Experience Survey, focusing on mothers who had singleton live births and assessing their alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Potential Biases

Potential underreporting of alcohol consumption due to the sensitive nature of the behavior.

Limitations

The study relied on self-reported data, which may be subject to recall bias, and causality cannot be inferred due to its cross-sectional nature.

Participant Demographics

Participants were Canadian women aged 15 and older who had singleton live births.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.05

Confidence Interval

95% CI: 1.20, 3.31

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2393-11-52

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