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Monitoring Alcohol Use Among Women of Childbearing Age

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) monitors the prevalence of alcohol use among women of childbearing age in the United States using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). The BRFSS is an ongoing, state-based, random-digit-dialed telephone survey of adults aged 18 years and older. Data from BRFSS are important for monitoring alcohol-use patterns in women of childbearing age to assess and inform public health efforts to reduce alcohol-exposed pregnancies by identifying populations at increased risk and designing prevention programs aimed at reducing risk behaviors and improving pregnancy outcomes. It should be noted that the BRFSS excludes households without landline telephones, so the results might not be representative of certain segments of the U.S. population. Alcohol use may also be underreported. To determine the potential number of women at risk for an alcohol-exposed pregnancy, data from the BRFSS are analyzed for women aged 18–44 years in all 50 states. Women are asked about their use of alcohol during the 30 days before the survey. The following two of the following patterns of alcohol drinking are frequently examined: any alcohol use (one or more drinks) and binge drinking (5 or more drinks on any one occasion).* Prevalence estimates vary from state to state and region to region. CDC publishes analyses of these data in peer-reviewed journals and the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

To view your state’s alcohol consumption rates among women of childbearing age in 2005 or 2006 click here.

*In 2005, the definition of binge drinking for women was five or more drinks on any one occasion. In 2006, the definition of binge drinking for women was changed to four or more drinks on any one occasion.

Related Publications:

Tsai J, Floyd RL, Bertrand J. Tracking binge drinking among U.S. childbearing-age women. Preventive Medicine. 2007;44:298-302. [Abstract] (Please link to PMID: 17150249)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Alcohol consumption among women who are pregnant or who might become pregnant—United States, 2002. MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.  2004;53(50):1178-1181. [Full Text]

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Alcohol use among childbearing-age women—United States, 1991–1999 [published erratum appears in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2002;51(14):308]. MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2002;51:273-276. [Full Text]

Ebrahim S, Decoufle P, Palakthodi AS. Combined tobacco and alcohol use by pregnant and reproductive-aged women in the U.S. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2000;96:767-771. [Abstract]

Ebrahim SH, Diekman ST, Decoufle P, Tully M, Floyd RL. Pregnancy-related alcohol use among women in the United States, 1988-1995. Prenatal and Neonatal Medicine. 1999;4:39-46.

Ebrahim SH, Diekman ST, Floyd RL, Decoufle P. Comparison of binge drinking among pregnant and nonpregnant women, United States, 1991-1995. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 1999;180:1-7. [Abstract]

Ebrahim SH, Luman ET, Floyd RL, Murphy CC, Bennett EM, Boyle CA. Alcohol consumption by pregnant women in the United States during 1988-1995. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 1998;92:187-192. [Abstract]

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Alcohol consumption among pregnant and childbearing age women—United States, 1991 and 1995. MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 1997;46(16):346-350. [Full Text]

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Frequent alcohol consumption among women of childbearing age, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 1991. MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 1994;43:328-329,335. [Full Text]

Alcohol Use Data Sets

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System:This telephone survey tracks national and state-specific health risk behaviors of adults, aged 18 years and older, in the United States. The BRFSS is administered and supported by the Division of Adult and Community Health,  National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

National Health Interview Survey (NHIS): The NHIS is a multi-purpose nationwide household health survey of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population conducted annually by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), CDC, to produce national estimates for a variety of health indicators.

National Survey on Drug Use and Health—This survey provides information on the prevalence, patterns, and consequences of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drug use and abuse in the general U.S. population, 12 years and older. It is conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies (OAS).

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