Logo image
Back
Midwives' knowledge, attitudes and practice about alcohol exposure and the risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Midwives' knowledge, attitudes and practice about alcohol exposure and the risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Janet M. Payne, Rochelle E. Watkins, Heather M. Jones, Tracy Reibel, Raewyn Mutch, Amanda Wilkins, Julie Whitlock and Carol Bower
BMC pregnancy and childbirth, Vol.14, 377
2014
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-014-0377-z
PMCID: PMC4228156
PMID: 25366388
url
PublishedView
Published (Version of Record)CC BY V4.0,  Open

Abstract

Midwives Knowledge Attitude Practice Alcohol Pregnancy Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
Background: Midwives are an influential profession and a key group in informing women about alcohol consumption in pregnancy and its consequences. There are no current quantitative Australian data on midwives' knowledge, attitudes and practice in relation to alcohol consumption during pregnancy and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. We aimed to reduce this knowledge gap by understanding midwives' perceptions of their practice in addressing alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at 19 maternity sites across the seven health regions of country Western Australia. A questionnaire was designed following review of the literature and other relevant surveys. Midwifery managers of the maternity sites distributed questionnaires to all midwives working in their line of management. A total of 334 midwives were invited to participate in the research and (n = 245, 73.4%) of these were eligible. Results: The response fraction was (n = 166, 67.8%). Nearly all (n = 151, 93.2%) midwives asked pregnant women about their alcohol consumption during pregnancy and (n = 164, 99.4%) offered advice about alcohol consumption in accordance with the Australian Alcohol Guideline, which states "For women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, not drinking is the safest option". Nearly two thirds (n = 104, 64.2%) of the midwives informed pregnant women about the effects of alcohol consumption in pregnancy, they did not always use the recommended AUDIT screening tool (n = 66, 47.5%) to assess alcohol consumption during pregnancy, nor conduct brief intervention when indicated (n = 107, 70.4%). Most midwives endorsed professional development about screening tools (n = 145, 93.5%), brief intervention (n = 144, 92.9%), and alcohol consumption during pregnancy and FASD (n = 144, 92.9%). Conclusion: Nearly all midwives in this study asked and advised about alcohol consumption in pregnancy and around two thirds provided information about the effects of alcohol in pregnancy. Our findings support the need for further professional development for midwives on screening and brief intervention. Policy should support midwives' practice to screen for alcohol consumption in pregnancy and offer brief intervention when indicated.

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

Source: InCites

Metrics

47 Record Views
44 Times Cited - Web of Science

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Citation topics
1 Clinical & Life Sciences
1.100 Substance Abuse
1.100.1284 Prenatal Substance Exposure
Web Of Science research areas
Obstetrics & Gynecology
ESI research areas
Clinical Medicine
Logo image