Changes in the use of alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs by pregnant women in Poland over the past 10 years

The aim of the study was to determine if and how pregnant women’s consumption of substances harmful to the fetus has changed over 10 years.

Substances taken during pregnancy are a serious public health problem because they are associated with an increased risk of adverse consequences for the two organisms, above all they have a toxic effect on the developing fetus. The target group of our study was pregnant women. The present study compared pregnant women in 2012–2013 and 2022–2023, with 746 women completing the questionnaires.

Before becoming pregnant, 19.5% of women surveyed in 2012–2013 used drugs (prescription and OTC), while among women surveyed in 2022–2023, the rate was 34%. The percentage of pregnant women declaring to consume alcohol decreased by three times, while those declaring to smoke cigarettes decreased by four times. Also, a significant decrease in the use of medicines (prescription and OTC, excluding vitamins and supplements) during pregnancy was observed—10 years ago it was almost 82%, now just over 50%. The vast majority of women (97–98%) know that there is no safe amount of alcohol for a pregnant woman, while women’s knowledge of 0% alcohol is problematic. One in 10 pregnant women believes that there is a safe amount of alcohol for pregnant women.

Over the past 10 years, the use of stimulants has decreased among pregnant women. Unfortunately, one in 10 pregnant women is not aware of the concept of FAS as a risk to fetal development during pregnancy. In all variants of the analyses, the lowest rates of anti-health behavior during pregnancy were achieved by women with a university education. However, the data on women’s knowledge of the effects of alcohol on the fetus remain unsatisfactory.