Women’s receptivity to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders prevention approaches: A case study of two regions in Russia

Abstract

Aims This study obtained data to inform the development of programs for prevention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) by examining Russian women’s perceptions about the determinants of their decisions regarding alcohol consumption during pregnancy; the importance of educating professionals and community about FASD; and the credibility of various sources of information. Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Seven women’s clinics in St. Petersburg and the Nizhny Novgorod region in Russia. Participants Six hundred and forty-eight pregnant and non-pregnant women of childbearing age. Measures A face-to-face structured interview assessed demographic characteristics, pregnancy status, alcohol consumption, and level of trust in and receptivity to FASD prevention messages. Findings The most influential contributor to women’s decisions regarding alcohol consumption during pregnancy was their own knowledge, followed by information from an obstetrician/gynecologist or nurse. It was most important to women that obstetrics and gynecology professionals and husbands or partners were knowledgeable about the effects of drinking during pregnancy. Physicians’ recommendations and research data were regarded by the women as the most credible sources of information. There were significant variations in responses by socio-demographic characteristics and alcohol consumption levels. Younger women were more likely to report the contributions of husbands, mothers, and friends or coworkers to their decisions about alcohol consumption and indicated the importance of educating these people. Women at risk for alcohol use during pregnancy reported greater influence of husbands or partners and warning labels on containers on their alcohol consumption. Conclusions This study emphasizes the importance of broadly disseminating information about FASD, particularly research data, through education of health professionals and the general public in Russia. Women’s socio-demographic characteristics and alcohol consumption levels should be considered in designing prevention programs.

Health Professionals are the Preferred Source of Information on Alcohol Use in Pregnancy for Australian Women: A National Survey

“…Sending information materials to doctors and health professionals so that they can inform their patients Our findings are in line with the studies from Australia, Russia, the United States and the Netherlands, which showed that health professionals (including midwives, obstetricians, gynaecologists, and nurses) were among the most preferred and influential sources of information for pregnant and nonpregnant women of childbearing age in relation to alcohol use during pregnancy (9,(15)(16)(17). This aligns with the opinions of health professionals who feel that they should provide advice on alcohol use during pregnancy, although screening, providing correct advice, and interventions (where indicated) are often inadequate (18)(19)(20)(21).…”

Interventions in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: An international perspective

“…In Russia, for example, Balachova and colleagues (2014) identified mothers’ and clinicians’ knowledge of FASD as important factors in a woman’s choice to drink during pregnancy. Younger women also valued the knowledge and opinions of husbands, mothers, friends, and coworkers, suggesting it is important to educate these individuals as well.…”

“…Petrenko and colleagues (2014) and Balachova and colleagues (2014) have done important work toward understanding the unique perspectives of individuals within their communities. Ceccanti and colleagues (2007) conducted similar work in Italy in order to more fully understand the Italian phenotype of FASD and the drinking habits of Italian women for the purposes of better targeting mechanisms for prevention and intervention.…”

“…Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy was successfully implemented in Zambia via the Design, Implementation, Monitoring, and Evaluation (DIME) model (Murray et al, 2013). For FASD in particular, a prevention protocol derived from two empirically supported interventions was successfully implemented in Russia using focus groups, surveys, and a randomized control trial (Balachova et al, 2007, 2013, 2014). Despite these differences in approach, a universal part of international implementation involves understanding the behaviors and attitudes of local providers and stakeholders.…”

Do attitudes and knowledge predict at-risk drinking among Russian women?

“…When study location was crossed with women’s pregnancy status, the demographics differed significantly by group, except for ethnicity, comparable to expectations based on the regional demographic characteristics reported by the government (40). Participants were part of a larger study and details about the sample and alcohol consumption were included in previous publications (17, 41). St. Petersburg participants had higher education, higher income, more urban residence, and were employed less often than Nizhny Novgorod Region participants (see Table 1).…”