RESEARCH PAPER
Pregnancy planning and risk behaviours – a survey of women’s experiences in selected European countries
More details
Hide details
1
Faculty of Humanities, University of Applied Sciences in Koszalin, Poland
2
Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Rzeszow, Poland
Ann Agric Environ Med. 2018;25(1):95-99
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Pregnancy, a special period in a woman’s life, should be preceded by proper preparation: a positive attitude to procreation, selection of optimum time for becoming pregnant, starting prevention of neural tube defects, restriction of the use of drugs, smoking, etc. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of pregnancy planning and antenatal classes on the use of stimulants during pregnancy. The study group included 877 women living in 7 European countries, and their experiences of planning pregnancy and substance abuse during pregnancy were investigated. In about a half (50.3%) of respondents the pregnancy was planned. The highest percentage of mothers who planned pregnancy was recorded in Poland and Bulgaria (about 76%). By contrast, in Germany the proportion of mothers who planned pregnancy was the lowest (46.2%). Surprisingly, they became pregnant despite very frequent use of birth control (96.7%). On average, 17.3% of respondents disclosed that they drank alcohol or coffee, smoked cigarettes or used psychoactive drugs during pregnancy. Among women who did not plan to be pregnant, the use of stimulants was recorded more often. However, pregnancy planning only slightly inclined women to stop the consumption of stimulants. Attendance at antenatal classes did not have any significant effect on the use of stimulants.
REFERENCES (25)
1.
Salmon J. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: New Zealand birth mothers’ experiences. Can J Clin Pharmacol. 2008; 15: 191–213.
2.
Damgaard IN, Jensen TK, Petersen JH, et al. Cryptorchidism and maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Environ Health Perspect. 2007; 115: 272–7.
3.
Kesmodel U, Wisborg K, Olsen SF, et al. Moderate alcohol intake during pregnancy and the risk of stillbirth and death in the first year of life. Am J Epidemiol. 2002; 155: 305–12.
4.
Alcohol consumption and the outcomes of pregnancy. Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Statement. 2006, No. 5.
5.
Wisborg K, Kesmodel U, Henriksen T. A prospective study of smoking during pregnancy and SIDS. Arch Dis Child. 2001; 84: 203–206.
6.
Jaddoe VW, Troe EJ, Hofman A, et al. Active and passive maternal smoking during pregnancy and the risks of low birthweight and preterm birth: the Generation R Study. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2008; 22: 162–71.
7.
Bakker R, Steegers EAP, Obradov A, et al. Maternal caffeine intake from coffee and tea, fetal growth, and the risks of adverse birth outcomes: the Generation R Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010; 91: 1691–1698.
9.
Suter M, Ma J, Harris AS, Patterson L, Brown KA, Shope C, Showalter L, Abramovici A, Aagaard-Tillery KM. Maternal tobacco use modestly alters correlated epigenome-wide placental DNA methylation and gene expression. Epigenetics. 2011; 6(11): 1284–1294.
10.
Suter M, Abramovici A, Aagaard-Tillery K. Genetic and epigenetic influences associated with intrauterine growth restriction due to in utero tobacco exposure. Pediatr Endocrinol Rev. 2010; 8: 94–102.
11.
Suter M, Bocock P, Showalter L, Hu M, Shope C, McKnight R, et al. Epigenomics: maternal high-fat diet exposure in utero disrupts peripheral circadian gene expression in nonhuman primates. FASEB J. 2011; 25: 714–26.
12.
Alvik A, Haldorsen T, Groholt B, et al. Alcohol consumption before and during pregnancy comparing concurren and retrospective reports. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2006; 30: 510–5.
13.
Szychta W, Skoczylas M, Laudański T. Spożywanie alkoholu i palenie tytoniu przez kobiety w ciąży – przegląd badań [Alcohol consumption and tobacco smoking by pregnant women: a review]. Perinatologia, Neonatologia i Ginekologia 2008; 1(4): 309–313.
14.
Kalinka J. Ocena roli wybranych środowiskowych czynników ryzyka ograniczonego wzrostu płodu oraz porodu przedwczesnego przy zastosowaniu wskaźników biologicznych i biomarkerów ekspozycji [Evaluation of the role of selected environmental risk factors of low birth weight and premature birth by using biological indices and exposure biomarkers]. Lódź: Folia Medica Lodziensia 2006; 33/S1: 5–151.
15.
Kaneita Y, Tomofumi S, Takemura S, Suzuki K, Yokoyama E, Miyake T, Harano S, Ibuka E, Kaneko A, Tsutsui T, Ohida T. Prevalence of smoking and associated factors among pregnant women in Japan. Prev Med. 2007; 45: 15–20.
16.
Mohsin M, Bauman AE. Socio-demographic factors associated with smoking and smoking cessation among 426.344 pregnant women in New South Wales, Australia. BMC Public Health. 2005; 5: 138.
17.
Millar WJ, Hill G. Pregnancy and smoking. Health Rep. 2004; 15: 53–56.
18.
Connor SK, McIntyre L. The sociodemographic predictors of smoking cessation among pregnant women in Canada. Can J Public Health. 1999; 90: 352–355.
19.
Yoon PW, Rasmussen SA, Lynberg MC, Moore CA, Anderka M, Carmichael SL, et al. The National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Public Health Rep. 2001; 116: 32–40.
20.
Lesińska-Sawicka M, Waśkow M. Palenie papierosów wśród kobiet w okresie okołoporodowym [Tobacco smoking in the perinatal period]. Pielęgniarstwo XXI 2009; 1–2(26–27): 89–94.
21.
Morse B, Gehshan S, Hutchins E. Screening for Substance Abuse During Pregnancy: Improving Care, Improving Health. Arlington, VA: National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health 1997.
22.
Koehn ML. Childbirth education outcomes: an integrative review of the literature. Journal of Perinatal Education 2002; 11(3): 10–19.
23.
National Collaborating Centre for Women‘s and Children‘s Health, Commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Pregnancy and complex social factors: A model for service provision for pregnant women with complex social factors, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 2010.
24.
Woźniak Z. Socjomedyczne aspekty funkcjonowania rodziny [Sociomedical aspects of family function]. Poznań: Centralny Program Badań Podstawowych 1990.
25.
Wojtyła A, Goździewska M, Paprzycki P, Biliński P. Tobacco-related Foetal Origin of Adult Diseases Hypothesis – population studies in Poland. Ann Agric Environ Med. 2012; 19(1): 117–128.