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Maternal attitudes in pregnancy predict drinking initiation in adolescence
Delyse M Hutchinson1, Rosa Alati, Jake M Najman
1National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia. d.hutchinson@med.unsw.edu.au
The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
|March 12, 2008
Summary
Maternal attitudes during pregnancy, such as negative feelings about pregnancy, predict adolescent drinking initiation. Infant caregiving attitudes did not show a predictive link. Perinatal interventions are recommended.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal mental health
- Adolescent substance use
- Developmental psychology
Background:
- Maternal attitudes during pregnancy and early infancy are crucial for child development.
- Understanding predictors of adolescent drinking initiation is vital for public health.
- Longitudinal studies provide valuable insights into developmental trajectories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the predictive relationship between maternal attitudes towards pregnancy and infant caregiving and adolescent alcohol initiation.
- To identify specific maternal attitudes that may influence a child's likelihood of starting to drink alcohol during adolescence.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Mater University Study of Pregnancy, an Australian longitudinal cohort.
- Employed logistic regression analyses to assess the predictive power of maternal attitudes at birth and 6 months on adolescent drinking initiation at age 14.
- Controlled for various potential confounding factors in the analyses.
Main Results:
- Maternal negative feelings about pregnancy and not planning or wanting the pregnancy were significant predictors of adolescent alcohol initiation at age 14.
- Negative maternal attitudes towards infant caregiving at birth and 6 months did not predict adolescent alcohol initiation.
- The findings highlight the differential impact of maternal attitudes during pregnancy versus early caregiving.
Conclusions:
- Maternal attitudes during the pregnancy period are important predictors of adolescent alcohol initiation.
- There is a clear need for effective perinatal interventions to support maternal mental health and attitudes.
- Early identification and support for mothers experiencing negative pregnancy-related attitudes may help mitigate risks for adolescent alcohol use.
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