HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND COMMUNITY AGENTS KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ALCOHOL USE AND WOMEN’S HEALTH IN BRAZIL Aliane PP; Souza J; Esper LH; Manesco V; Furtado EF Clinical Psychiatry and Psichopathology Research Group School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto. University of São Paulo - Brazil INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION Despite of remarkable progress in research on SBIRT implementation, there are very few studies in the area of SBIRT and women’s health and pregnancy (Kaner et al., 2009). This exploratory study aimed to verify knowledge and attitudes of health professionals and community health agents about alcohol use and health problems among women, in general, and particularly among pregnant women. METHODS METHODS Following the literature, a questionnaire has been developed for assessment of knowledge about women characteristics. The questionnaire was composed by twenty true-false questions (Table 1). Health professionals were asked to fulfill the questionnaire before a training session on SBIRT focusing on women’s health and pregnancy. All participants have been trained previously in SBIRT for general population. RESULTS RESULTS REFERENCES REFERENCES 1. Kaner EFS et al. Effectiveness of brief alcohol interventions in primary care populations (Cochrane Review). In: The Cochrane Library, Issue 1, DISCUSSION DISCUSSION These results suggest that many professionals don’t evaluate properly their level of information and educational needs as required for performing SBIRT in the area of women’s health and pregnancy. CONCLUSION CONCLUSION SBIRT is necessary for these health professionals work on primary prevention, especially on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome prevention. Table 2 – Sample Characteristics (N=15) Figure 1 – Knowledge declared and right answers Figure 2 – Prevalence of right answers on the questions Age [years; median (standart deviation)] 43 (13,5) Professional experience [years; median (standart deviation)] 9 (10,6) Educational level [High School; prevalence] 73,3% Knowledge declared Right answers Consequences for the child and women’s health Characteristics of alcohol use/dependence Gender differences Screening/treatment Breastfeeding Table 1 – Questionnaire and prevalence of right answers for each question Questions Right answers Questions Right answers Questions Right answers 1 - Alcohol dependence is a male disease (F)93,3% 8 - Women who drinks are more promiscuous and more available for sex (F) 6,7% 15 - There’s a high prevalence of alcohol use among women who suffered from any kind of violence (T) 73,3% 2 - Women organic structure is stronger than men (F)93,3% 9 - Black beer contribute to women’s breastfeeding (F) 93,3% 16 - Child whose mothers drunks during pregnancy could have learning, speaking and motor skills difficult (T) 100% grams of alcohol is sufficient to suppress breathing and fetal movements (T) 46,7% 10 - Women talk easily about their alcohol consumption and frequently seek professional help (F) 80% 17 - The majority of alcohol dependence women are married with alcohol dependence husbands (T) 40% 4- Some reasons for women drink is to alleviate from sadness, loneliness and because of family and couple problems (V) 93,3% 11 - Psychiatric and emotional problems such as depression, anxiety and eating disorders are more frequent among women (T) 80% 18 - Health professionals diagnostic easily alcohol dependent women because of their clinical complains (F) 46,7% 5 - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is characterized by growth abnormalities, dysmorphic facial features, CNS neurodevelopmental abnormalities e many other anomalies (T) 86,7% 12 - Alcohol abuse is associated with disturbs on women’s reproductive cycle (T) 53,3% 19 - It isn’t necessary to guide pregnant women not to drink alcohol (F) 93,3% 6 - Shame, fear of lose son’s guard, difficult to ask for help and the feeling of incapacity to cut down on drinking are factors that impede women to seek help (T) 93,3% 13 - Health and non pregnant women can drinks 3 glasses of beer per day without any risk of problems (F) 80% 20 - Alcohol affects baby independently of the quantity of alcohol consumed by the mother and the mother’s nutritional status (F) 6,7% 7 - Women became alcohol dependent earlier than men (T) 26,7% 14 - Women who is breastfeeding can drinks alcohol without any risk of problems (F) 100%