The association between depression and alcohol use among pregnant adults in the USA

Background The prevalence of alcohol use among pregnant women aged 18–44 years old increased in recent years. The influence of mental health issues on an individual’s likelihood to use alcohol during pregnancy has not been thoroughly investigated. This study will examine the association between expe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archives of women's mental health 2024-06, Vol.27 (3), p.425-433
Main Authors: Chapman, Madison, Bandoli, Gretchen, Goldenberg, Shira M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology
Alcohol use
Depression - epidemiology
Depressive Disorder, Major - epidemiology
Ethnicity
Female
Humans
Logistic Models
Marital status
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Mental depression
Mental disorders
Minority & ethnic groups
Original Article
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Complications - epidemiology
Pregnancy Complications - psychology
Pregnant Women - psychology
Prevalence
Psychiatry
Psychotherapy
Regression analysis
United States - epidemiology
Womens health
Young Adult
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Summary:Background The prevalence of alcohol use among pregnant women aged 18–44 years old increased in recent years. The influence of mental health issues on an individual’s likelihood to use alcohol during pregnancy has not been thoroughly investigated. This study will examine the association between experiencing a major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year and past-month alcohol use among pregnant women using the 2011–2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Methods Pregnant women between the ages of 18 and 44 years old were included in the study for analysis. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between past-year MDE and past-month alcohol use adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, marital status, and employment status. Additional logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate whether this relationship differed by trimester of pregnancy. Results A total of 6745 participants were included in the analytic sample. The prevalence of past-year MDE and past-month alcohol use was 7.67% and 9.15% respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed past-year MDE was significantly associated with past-month alcohol use in pregnant women adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, marital status, and employment status (aOR = 1.96; 95% CI, 1.34–2.87). This relationship became stronger in second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Conclusions This study showed a positive association between MDE and past-month alcohol use among pregnant women, with strongest effect estimates in the third trimester. These findings may inform approaches for improved screening guidelines and health education for individuals who may be at higher risk of prenatal alcohol use.
ISSN:1434-1816
1435-1102
DOI:10.1007/s00737-023-01417-x