Preventive health risks in pregnancy: Cross-sectional prevalence survey in three regions of New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania

Abstract

Abstract Objective: To examine the proportion of pregnant people meeting preventive health guideline recommendations in three regions of New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania. Methods: Cross-sectional surveys of pregnant people attending public maternity services were conducted between November 2021 and April 2022. Participants were asked about their preventive health risks during pregnancy, including tobacco smoking, e-cigarette use, alcohol consumption, gestational weight gain, dietary intake and physical activity. Results: In total, 1064 surveys were completed. Smoking during pregnancy was reported by 10.5% of participants in New South Wales, 7.8% in South Australia and 18.0% in Tasmania. Most participants (95.2%-96.1%) reported that they did not currently consume alcohol. In each region, the majority of participants were currently gaining gestational weight outside recommended ranges (65.0%-70.2%) and not meeting minimum recommendations regarding intake of core food groups (except for fruit) and physical activity (65.2%-75.6%). Conclusions: This study demonstrates a need for greater access to evidence-based interventions to support people reduce their preventive health risks in pregnancy and in turn achieve positive outcomes for themselves and their babies. Implications for Public Health: The findings can inform region-based needs and prioritisation of support for addressing preventive health risks in pregnancy. Key words: pregnancy, smoking, alcohol, weight, prevalence