The COVID-19 pandemic and parental substance use: a cross-sectional survey of substance use among pregnant and post-partum individuals and their partners

ABSTRACT

Background

This study was designed to investigate patterns and risk factors for substance use among obstetrical patients who gave birth during the early period of the pandemic, and their partners.

Methods

Cross-sectional survey of obstetrical patients between March 17th and June 16th, 2020, at The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Canada. Substance use was a composite measure of any alcohol, tobacco, or cannabis use since COVID-19 began. Four outcomes included: any participant substance use or increase in substance use, any partner substance use or increase in substance use. Adjusted risk ratios (ARR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) are presented.

Findings

Of 216 participants, 113 (52.3%) and 15 (6.9%) obstetrical patients reported substance use and increased use, respectively. Those born in Canada (ARR: 2.03; 95% CI: 1.27–3.23) and those with lower household income (ARR: 1.38; 95% CI: 1.04–1.85) had higher risk of substance use. Those with postpartum depression (ARR: 5.78; 95%CI: 2.22–15.05) had the highest risk of increased substance use. Families affected by school/daycare closure reported a higher risk of increased partner substance use (ARR: 2.46; 95% CI:1.38–4.39).

Conclusion

This study found that risk factors for substance use included demographics (i.e., being born in Canada, income), mental health (postpartum depression), and school/childcare closures.

KEYWORDS:

• Pregnancy
• perinatal
• postpartum
• substance-related disorders
• substance use
• alcohol
• cannabis
• COVID-19
• maternal
• STROBE etc. guidelines

Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge all the participants who took the time to respond to this survey. We thank Drs Jasmine Gandhi and Mark Kaluzienski for support developing the perinatal mental health response study protocols, our patient partner Meagan Ann O’Hare Gordon, and Dana Burke and Yu Fu for administrative support. We wish to acknowledge that this study was conducted on unceded Algonquin Anishinabe territory.

Author contributions

KAM, KMD, RT, CB, OF, ALJDH, RRW, KS, DEC conceived and designed the study. KS, MCW, DEC provided clinical expertise and content. RT conducted the statistical analyses and KAM, MSQM, DJC, SWW provided methodological and analytic expertise. OF, CB, KMD collected the data.

All authors critically reviewed the manuscript and approved the final version. KM and DEC have primary responsibility for the final content.

Availability of data and materials

With a data sharing agreement, the de-identified data, data dictionary, and ethics protocol are available from the corresponding author.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Ethical approval

This study was approved by the Ottawa Health Sciences Network Research Ethics Board (Protocol number: 20170390-01 H). All participants provided informed verbal consent. All methods were performed in accordance with standard ethical guidelines and regulations (Declaration of Helsinki).

Additional information

Funding

The Ottawa Hospital Academic Medical Organization (TOHAMO): TOH–20–005.