Prevalence and predictors of health risk behaviours during early pregnancy: Saskatoon pregnancy and health study

Canadian data on prenatal exposure to alcohol, tobacco, psychoactive drugs, and caffeine are sparse. This study presents prevalence rates in Saskatoon for these four risk behaviours during the first trimester of pregnancy and their associations with sociodemographic factors. Personal interviews were conducted with 605 pregnant women (83%, participation rare). The most commonly used substance was caffeine (87%), followed by alcohol (46%), tobacco (30%), and psychoactive drugs (7%). Overall, 36% of women reported using two substances, 16% three, and 4% all four substances. In general, risk behaviours were more prevalent among women with lower education and income levels. Aboriginal or Metis background, those not living with a partner, those with previous; births, and, in some cases, younger women. The findings illuminate the needs of particular groups of pregnant women and the importance of understanding maternal risk behaviour within the structural and cultural realities of women's lives.