| Data from the National Comorbidity Survey, based on women between the ages of 15 to 54, were analyzed in order to better understand the relationships among childhood risk factors, pregnancy termination, and alcohol use disorders. Women whose first pregnancy ended with an induced abortion (274 women) or a live birth (1471 women) were compared to assess the likelihood of developing a subsequent alcohol use disorder (abuse or dependence). Univariate logistic regression analyses and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted in order to determine whether a history of abortion on the first pregnancy was a significant predictor of subsequently meeting the criteria for an alcohol use disorder, after controlling for other factors. These other factors included demographic variables (ethnicity, marital status, religion, income, education level, and age at time of interview), distal risk factors (parent substance abuse, a history of conduct disorder, and pre-existing alcohol misuse symptoms), and proximal risk factors (age of first pregnancy, subsequent abortions, and subsequent live births). Results indicated that the most consistent predictors of the onset of an alcohol use disorder following first pregnancy were a parent history of substance abuse, pre-existing alcohol misuse symptoms, a younger age of first pregnancy and termination of the first pregnancy. These predictors reached significance across all sets of analyses. Although termination of first pregnancy remained a significant predictor of alcohol use disorders over and above the control variables used here, it is likely that other factors that predict the choice to terminate a pregnancy are also associated with an increased likelihood for alcohol use disorders. |
