ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of alcohol intake and the degree of alcohol-related risk among nursing mothers attended at the Child Care Service of Hospital das Clínicas of Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brazil. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 157 nursing mothers enrolled in the Child Care Program of the university hospital. A questionnaire was administered addressing demographic and socioeconomic variables, type and duration of breastfeeding, smoking habits and consumption of foods considered as appetizers. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT C) was applied for assessing alcohol consumption in the previous 12 months. Pearson's chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Twelve percent of the nursing mothers reported consuming alcoholic beverages, 100% of whom were classified as being at low risk for alcohol use disorders. The frequency of nursing mothers who consumed appetizers during alcohol consumption was 100%, the most common of which was cheese - 18 (95%). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of alcohol intake was low in the nursing mothers analyzed. The users exhibited a low risk for alcohol disorders and a high frequency of the consumption of appetizers during alcohol consumption.
