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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, Green PP, Boyle CA. Patterns and
average volume of alcohol use among women of childbearing age. Maternal
and Child Health Journal. 2007;11:437-435. [Abstract]
(Please link to PMID: 17333387)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 SL, Anderson
AL, Floyd RL. Alcohol consumption by reproductive-aged women in the USA: an
update on assessment, burden and prevention in the 1990s. Prenatal and Neonatal
Medicine. 1999;4:419-430.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]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevalence and
characteristics of alcohol consumption and fetal alcohol syndrome
awareness—Alaska, 1991 and 1993. MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report. 1994;43:3-6. [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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