Factors associated with alcohol use in pregnancy in Northern Ireland
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An exploratory investigation into alcohol use during pregnancy.
IRAS ID
147342
Contact name
George Kernohan
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 1 months, 24 days
Research summary
Summary of Research
This multiphase study is being undertaken as part of a PhD course at Ulster University and will last for 18 months. It will use an exploratory longitudinal research design, the aim of which is to investigate factors associated with the use of alcohol during pregnancy.
Volunteers aged 18 years and over will be recruited from the Ulster Maternity Hospital in Northern Ireland.
Eligible volunteers who can understand and write English will be invited to fill out a 42 item postal self-completion questionnaire that will take approximately 20 mins to complete.All pregnant women will receive the booklet by post along with the usual information that is sent by the Ulster Hospital Maternity administration team in advance of 1st booking antenatal appointments.
It will be assumed that women have consented to participate, if they decide to complete the questionnaire.
Participants who complete the questionnaire and have indicated an 'expression of interest' to participate in Phase 2 of the study by providing future contact details (see page 29 of the questionnaire booklet), will be asked to sign a written Consent Form to this effect and to bring it with them in the sealed envelope along with the questionnaire to give to the midwife at 1st booking appointment. Subsequently, women who have provided their contact details and signed a Consent Form will be invited to join Phase 2 Focus Groups along with others towards the end of their pregnancy, provided their is no reason to exclude them.
The focus groups will be facilitated by the researcher and/or his supervisors and will take no longer than an hour. The groups will also be used to recruit individuals for Phase 3 telephone interviews to explore women's use of alcohol after their baby is born.
Data will be analysed to investigate what influences alcohol use during pregnancy.
Summary of Results
To understand women's use of alcohol in pregnancy we surveyed new mothers. A total of 325 responses were analysed from one maternity service in Northern Ireland. Results suggest that most of them understood that alcohol consumption is dangerous during pregnancy. This did not stop 30 women from continuing to report taking alcohol since becoming aware of their pregnancy. This group tend to distrust people in authority and they reported getting less information than others. Although most women are aware of the risks of taking alcohol in pregnancy, more work is needed to achieve abstinence.
REC name
HSC REC B
REC reference
16/NI/0232
Date of REC Opinion
6 Feb 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion