PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE RISKS OF DRINKING ALCOHOL DURING PREGNANCY - THE EFFECTS OF A TELEVISION CAMPAIGN

Objective - To evaluate the impact of a television public awareness ca mpaign on knowledge of the dangers of drinking alcohol during pregnanc y. Design - A survey with five questions on alcohol and pregnancy and five health questions unrelated to alcohol was administered before and after the campaign. Participants - Three thousand women aged 15-45 ye ars. Intervention - A 30-second announcement with a message on alcohol and pregnancy was broadcast over ten weeks by five television station s in Manitoba. Results - More respondents after the campaign thought t hat alcohol consumption in pregnancy would put the baby at risk, and a ttributed this information to ''television''. There were no difference s in the responses to the five health questions unrelated to alcohol. Conclusions - An increase in awareness of the risks of drinking alcoho l during pregnancy was observed after a mass media campaign.