Although maternal alcohol use during pregnancy has long been identified as a significant public health problem, little is known about protective factors for alcohol-exposed pregnancies among Latinas. Substance exposed pregnancies (SEP) among Latinas and other racial and ethnic minority groups pose greater burden due to contextual factors that may hinder treatment seeking and outcomes.
Currently, there is limited knowledge on the role of sociocultural factors on health behavior practices and their potential influence on preconception substance abuse and treatment. Research to better understand social context including risk and protective behaviors involved in SEP among Latinas and other racial and ethnic minorities is necessary to meet the needs of these underserved groups. Additionally, there are few studies that have examined the potential impact that acculturation may have on how Latinos respond to the use of technology in substance abuse interventions.
This Diversity Supplement builds on research being conducted at primary care clinics in the Harris Health System (Houston, TX) under parent grant R01 AA022924 (PI: Velasquez). The parent study is a randomized controlled trial testing tablet-delivery of CHOICES4Health, a behavioral health intervention targeting alcohol-, tobacco-, and marijuana-exposed pregnancy. Dr. Hernandez’s supplement study will examine potential cross-cultural differences in intervention outcomes and the process of behavior change by sociocultural variables including race/ethnicity, acculturation, mental health conditions, and by treatment delivery (person-delivered versus computer tablet-delivered) among women participating in the intervention Taken together, the additional levels of analyses conducted by Dr. Hernandez will make an important contribution to the parent study and to the field as it will provide valuable information on risks and protective factors for SEP among Latinas and other underserved groups.
Funding for this project is provided under Grant #: R01 AA022924 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The views expressed in written project materials or publications do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention by trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.