Women's alcohol consumption in the early parenting period and influences of socio-demographic and domestic circumstances: A scoping review and narrative synthesis

Dissolving contradictory demands: A systematic review of alcohol use of working mothers

BACKGROUND

Working mothers perform 'double shifts' of paid and domestic labour. Increased rates of employment among mothers in high income countries, and the impact of the alcohol industry actively promoting alcohol to working mothers, makes it crucial for preventative efforts to understand the factors driving alcohol use among this population. This systematic review of qualitative and quantitative studies provides an overview of the drinking patterns of working mothers and their predictors.

METHODS

Four databases were systematically searched in August 2024. The population of interest were adult women in high income countries, who were both mothers of at least one dependent child and employed in any capacity. The methodological quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Following a convergent integrated approach, narrative synthesis was conducted for all studies.

RESULTS

Of the 4623 records maintained for screening, 22 articles (15 quantitative and 7 qualitative) were included. Working mothers were more often drinkers and consumed a higher quantity per occasion (including binge and risky drinking) in comparison to mid-life women and non-working mothers. Alcohol use was also linked to managing emotional states, as a commodity to 'cope' with gendered norms. Living in a society with increased gender equity and being partnered or married had a protective effect on heavy drinking and consumed quantity.

CONCLUSIONS

Working mother's drinking is governed by gender norms and expectations, and countries who advance policies to improve the acceptability and compatibility of motherhood and employment may reduce working mother's alcohol use.

A Conditional Indirect Effects Analysis of Intimate Partner Violence, Depression, Social Support, and Race With Alcohol Consumption among Postpartum Mothers

Alcohol use and alcohol-related mortality for pregnant and postpartum women have increased, and there are racial disparities in both alcohol consumption and pregnancy outcomes. In addition, data indicate that women of Color are more likely to experience many forms of violence and face more adverse consequences from violence than non-Hispanic White women. Therefore, the current study examined how the direct and indirect pathways between intimate partner violence (IPV), depressive symptoms, and alcohol consumption are moderated by both social support and race among postpartum women. In 2022, a cross-sectional survey was administered to participants across the U.S., including 503 postpartum mothers. Participants responded to a survey battery assessing three social support strategies (appraisal support, belonging support, and tangible support), IPV, depressive symptomology, race, and alcohol consumption. A conditional process model was specified to examine the multifaceted direct and indirect relationships between IPV, the three aspects of social support, depressive symptomology, race, and alcohol consumption among postpartum mothers. Postpartum mothers experiencing violence consumed more alcohol, and depressive symptoms partially accounted for this relationship; however, some pathways were conditional upon either social support or race. For instance, women of Color who experienced violence consumed more alcohol than White women who experienced violence. Also, the protective effects of Appraisal Support in relation to depressive symptoms was stronger for White women than women of Color, while higher Belonging Support was more protective against alcohol consumption for women of Color than White women. Each social support approach contributed unique insights into the multidimensional nature of these relationships, shedding light on potential therapeutic targets for prevention-intervention efforts utilizing social support as a key buffering mechanism.

Development and Validation of the Maternal Drinking Motives Scale (M-DMS)

BACKGROUND

Alcohol use is a gendered behavior and motherhood is a life stage which may influence drinking motives. However, there are no drinking motive scales uniquely tailored to maternal populations. This work developed a new maternal drinking motives scale (M-DMS) and determined associations between the M-DMS and alcohol-related behavior.

METHODS

An online observational survey (n = 534) and online test-retest survey (n = 164) were conducted with adult, UK mothers. From the observational study, data on drinking motives was extracted to determine M-DMS items and factor loading. This was split into two data sets for exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and Timeline Follow back data, taken from both surveys, were combined to determine the M-DMS's predictive validity.

RESULTS

Following a parallel analysis and exploratory factor analysis, a two-factor model (positive reinforcement motives, negative reinforcement motives) was deemed the best fit. Probability functional analysis identified items with problematic responses. These were removed before confirmatory factor analysis (on the second dataset) demonstrated a good fit for the two-factor model. All factor loadings were significant and positive (βs > 0.56). Reliability of the two subscales was excellent: negative reinforcement (ωT = 0.95), positive reinforcement (ωT = 0.89). Test-retest reliability was good for both negative (ICC = 0.84, 95%CI = 0.80-0.88) and positive (ICC = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.71-0.82) subscales. Both subscales predicted AUDIT and quantity of alcohol consumption (ps < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The first tailored Maternal Drinking Motives Scale (M-DMS) provides a more valid research tool for assessing psychological mechanisms of alcohol use in mothers.

Wine-Mom Culture, Alcohol Use, and Drinking Motives: A Descriptive Study and Cross-Cultural Exploration of American and British Mothers

Objective: "Wine-mom" culture, which promotes the idea that women should use alcohol to cope with the stressors of parenting, is pervasive in modern society, yet remains an under-researched variable in the context of women's alcohol use. The present investigation was a descriptive study and cross-cultural exploration (United States vs. United Kingdom) of the association between wine-mom culture (perceptions of wine-mom culture and related behaviors) and various alcohol-related outcomes, parenting experiences, and drinking motives. Methods: This study included 233 American and 233 British mothers recruited through Prolific. Participants completed the study questions/questionnaires in Qualtrics; they completed nine items measuring their perceptions of and engagement with wine-mom culture, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, the Parental Stress Scale, and the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised, along with questions about their alcohol use and parenting experiences. Results: Our results indicated that although American mothers were more familiar with wine-mom culture than British mothers, the correlations observed were similar for both groups. Some of the wine-mom culture variables were associated with problematic alcohol use and parenting stress. Additionally, wine-mom culture-related behaviors had moderate to strong positive correlations with drinking to cope motives. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that future research should examine the role of wine-mom culture in the perception that alcohol can-or should-be used as a form of self-medication. Other future directions and considerations for this area of study are discussed.