Knowledge of the effects of gestational alcohol consumption and FASD in an Ontarian sample

Abstract

The current document is a two-paper manuscript-based thesis investigating what women in Ontario know about drinking during the gestational period. Though there have been many studies investigating what women in various countries and locations know about drinking during pregnancy, there is a lack of recent data focusing on Ontario, Canada. Both papers use a surveybased approach to answer the research questions posed in each respective manuscript. The first paper explored what women currently know about drinking during pregnancy and what individual characteristics may influence endorsement of drinking behaviours. The majority of participants did not endorse drinking behaviours, however, a small but substantial portion of the population still endorses drinking. The second manuscript addressed where individuals receive their information about drinking during the gestational period. Results indicated that women in Ontario saw information in print and news media, but would most prefer to get their information from health care professionals. Implications in terms of education and prevention are discussed.