Psychosocial Correlates of Psychoactive Substance Use among Pregnant Women

There is paucity of studies on psychoactive substance use among women in their reproductive years in low and middle-income countries. With this scenario, the preventable consequences of substance abuse on the pregnant woman and unborn child have not received adequate attention in the healthcare systems. This study aimed to determine the psychosocial correlates of substance use among women attending antenatal services at a tertiary hospital in southwestern Nigeria. One hundred and thirty pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic were recruited using systematic random sampling method between March and April 2015. The researchers designed a proforma containing sociodemographic, pregnancy-related and clinical variables. The ASSIST was used to determine the prevalence of lifetime and current psychoactive substance use while General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) was administered to screen for psychological distress among the pregnant women. Fifty-three (45.4%) had used at least one psychoactive substance in their lifetime while 22(16.9%) were current users. Prevalence of current use for alcohol was 9.2%, sedatives/sleeping pills 8.5%, pain medication (narcotic analgesics) 2.3%, tobacco and stimulants 1.5% each. History of father’s alcohol use, parity, gravida and medical conditions were all associated with substance abuse in the respondents. About half of the respondents in this study use psychoactive substances. There is a need for the introduction of drug abuse prevention and intervention strategies into maternal and child health services.