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Obstetrician–gynecologists’ practices and attitudes on substance use screening during pregnancy

Journal of Perinatology volume 40, pages 422–432 (2020)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective

To describe obstetrician–gynecologists’ practices and attitudes related to substance use screening in pregnant patients.

Study design

A 2017 cross-sectional survey assessed US obstetrician–gynecologists’ (n = 462; response rate = 34%) practices (substance use screening frequency and methods) and attitudes (practice priority of screening, confidence in treating, and responsibility statements). Chi-squared tests and adjusted modified Poisson regression were used to estimate associations between practices and attitudes.

Results

Of 353 respondents with screening information, 79% frequently screen for substance use and 11% used a validated instrument. Confidence was the highest for treating pregnant patients using tobacco (81%). Respondents whose practices make it a high priority to screen for all substances were 1.2 times as likely to frequently screen as their counterparts (95% CI: 1.1–1.3).

Conclusions

Four out of five obstetricians–gynecologists reported a high frequency of substance use screening in pregnant patients. Findings highlight the importance of increasing priority of substance use screening by obstetrician–gynecologists.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the respondents of the survey for their time and participation.

Funding

This work was funded by a contract to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC; #200-2015-M-63715). Authors LS, CS, and JS were in part supported by UA6MC19010 and UA6MC31609 from the Maternal Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy, MS-S107-2, Atlanta, GA, 30341, USA

    Jean Y. Ko & Sarah C. Haight

  2. United States Public Health Service, Commissioned Corps, Rockville, MD, 20857, USA

    Jean Y. Ko

  3. Division of Congenital and Developmental Disorders, National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disorders, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy, MS-S106-3, Atlanta, GA, 30341, USA

    Van T. Tong

  4. Friends Research Institute, 1040 Park Ave Suite 103, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA

    Mishka Terplan

  5. Research Department, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), 409 12th Street SW, Washington, DC, 20024, USA

    Lauren Stark & Carrie Snead

  6. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Box 356460, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

    Jay Schulkin

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  1. Jean Y. Ko
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Correspondence to Jean Y. Ko.

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The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HRSA, or the authors’ affiliated institutions.

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Ko, J.Y., Tong, V.T., Haight, S.C. et al. Obstetrician–gynecologists’ practices and attitudes on substance use screening during pregnancy. J Perinatol 40, 422–432 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-019-0542-3

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