Prevalence and associated factors of alcohol intake in the first trimester of pregnancy in Dabat district, northwest Ethiopia

Background Now a day, the consumption of alcohol among pregnant women is increasing from time to time, and it has become one of the increasingly serious public health and socio-economic problems. In addition, cause miscarriages, stillbirths, and a range of physical, behavioural, and intellectual disabilities for the baby that can last a lifetime. There is also limited evidence. Therefore, the objective of this study was to prevalence and associated factors of alcohol intake in the first trimester of pregnancy in Dabat district, northwest Ethiopia. Methods A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted to determine the magnitude of alcohol intake within the first three months of pregnancy at the Dabat Demographic and Health Survey Site. A census of pregnant women in Dabat demographic and health survey sites was employed. A total of 579 pregnant women were found and participated in this study. The Data were entered and analyzed using EPI INFO and STATA version 14, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors related to alcohol intake during the first trimester of pregnancy. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval was used to show the strength of the association, and P value < 0.05 was used to confirm the significance of the association. Results The prevalence of alcohol intake in the first trimester of pregnancy was 58% (95%CI (54.1, 61.8)). Rural residence (AOR = 6.83, 95% CI, 2.55, 18.32), being married (AOR = 2.37, 95% CI: 1.14, 4), being a housewife occupation (AOR = 2.24, 95% CI, 1.54, 3.26) and having a history of stillbirth ((AOR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.2, 4.14) were significantly associated with alcohol intake in the first trimester. Conclusions The prevalence of alcohol consumption in the first trimester of pregnancy was high in the study area. Pregnant women’s’ sociodemogrphic characteristics and history of stillbirth are associated with alcohol consumption. Therefore, increasing maternal awareness of the negative effects of alcohol consumption among mothers living in rural areas is important to modify higher rates of alcohol intake in the first trimester. Mothers with a history of stillbirth should pay attention.