Fish consumption and advisory awareness among expectant women

During the spring of 2003, the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS) piloted a fish consumption advisory program targeted at pregnant women. Fish consumption recommendations and information about the prenatal effects of methylmercury were illustrated in multilingual posters, brochures, fact cards, and other promotional items. These materials were mailed to Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program providers, local health departments, and medical clinics, along with a cover letter that encouraged them to display the materials in waiting areas and distribute them to new mothers and expectant women who visited their facilities. In August 2003, a survey was mailed to 1000 women who had given birth during the first week of June 2003. The survey was intended to provide an estimate of the number and types of fish meals the women had consumed during pregnancy and evaluate their familiarity with the outreach materials. On average, survey respondents consumed 3 fish meals a month. The most frequently consumed fish were canned tuna and frozen fish. Approximately one third of women knew that older fish and predatory fish have the highest levels of mercury. While almost half of the women were aware of Wisconsin's sport fish advisory, only 13% of them remembered seeing any of the outreach materials.