Page 66 - Zero for nine: Reducing alcohol use during pregnancy via health counselling and Internet-based computer-tailored feedback

Chapter 3
Discussion
In this study, we compared the cognitive factors of partners who were high versus low in partner support. This study showed that partners reporting high support were more likely to desire their partner to abstain from alcohol use and to have received advice from their pregnant spouse or midwife that abstinence was desirable. They also had stronger perceptions that the baby would experience harm from prenatal alcohol use and that harm could be more severe, and they saw more advantages and fewer disadvantages of providing support. They also reported more influence from their social environment encouraging their support, had greater self-efficacy and had a stronger intention to support their partner during the remainder of the pregnancy compared to partners reporting low support.
The significant difference between partners reporting high versus low support with regard to motivational factors and intention is in line with the I-Change Model and other theories explaining health behaviour (e.g. Ajzen, 1985). These findings suggest several intervention points for the involvement of partner support to prevent prenatal alcohol use. First, health professionals may improve their alcohol advice by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of support with the partner. Second, as social norms are important correlates of partner support to abstain from alcohol, governmental organizations may consider to increase public awareness of the risks of alcohol use during pregnancy. Third, previous research (van der Wulp, Hoving, & De Vries, 2013) has shown that partners are willing to discuss prenatal alcohol use with their pregnant spouse using alcohol. By encouraging couples to discuss the situations in which partners find it difficult not to support alcohol abstinence, health professionals may help to increase partner support. However, with respect to these suggestions, the cross-sectional design of the present study should be remembered. Longitudinal research is needed to confirm that an increase of the motivational factors and intention leads to an increase of partner support to abstain from prenatal alcohol use.
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