Comparison of binge drinking among pregnant and nonpregnant women, United States, 1991-1995

Our goal was to measure the pregnancy-related reduction in the prevalence o f reported binge drinking (greater than or equal to 5 alcoholic drinks per occasion) and to characterize binge drinkers among pregnant and nonpregnant women aged 18-44 years, in the United States, 1991-1995. We used the Behav ioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from 46 states. We used the prev alence rate ratio between pregnant and nonpregnant women to determine the m agnitude of the reduction in reported binge drinking and multiple logistic regression models to identity characteristics associated with binge drinkin g. Between 1991 and 1995, the prevalence of binge drinking among pregnant w omen increased significantly from 0.7% (95% confidence interval 0.2-0.9) to 2.9% (95% confidence interval 2.2-3.6), whereas among nonpregnant women th e prevalence changed little (11.3% vs 11.2%). Over the study period pregnan t women were one fifth (prevalence rate ratio 0.2, 95% confidence interval 0.1-0.2) as likely as nonpregnant women to binge drink. Among Various popul ation subgroups of women, pregnancy-related reduction in binge drinking was smallest among black women and largest among women aged less than or equal to 30 years and among those who had quit smoking. Among pregnant women bin ge drinking was independently associated with being unmarried, being employ ed, and current smoking. Among nonpregnant women binge drinking was indepen dently associated with age less than or equal to 30 years, nonblack race, c ollege level education, being unmarried, being employed or a student, and c urrent smoking. Clinicians serving women of childbearing age need to be awa re of the recent rise in reported binge drinking during pregnancy, as well as the known risk factors for binge drinking.