Patterns and Perceptions of Maternal Alcohol Use among Women with Pre-School Aged Children: A Qualitative Exploration of Focus Group Data

Background: Quantitative studies of women’s alcohol use suggest that social advantage is associated with increased frequency of alcohol use and disadvantage with increased quantities. Very few studies have examined patterns among mothers; even fewer have explored mothers’ perceptions and understandings of their alcohol use. We examine how mothers describe and make sense of their patterns of alcohol use in the context of advantaged and disadvantaged circumstances. Methods: Four focus groups were conducted with mothers from advantaged (n=9) and disadvantaged (n=9) backgrounds. To facilitate discussion, mothers were invited to comment on a number of images and diary extracts that depicted varying patterns of maternal alcohol use (from abstinence to ‘risky’). The focus groups discussions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative data was analysed thematically and framed within an interpretivist paradigm. Results: Mothers recalled how their social circumstances influenced their alcohol use. Emerging themes related to where (drinking location) and why (reasons for drinking) individuals drank alcohol, they included: Drinking in the home, drinking outside the home, identity and individuality, portrayal of age and emotional well-being. Conclusion: Our research suggests that social circumstances influence mothers’ drinking locations, and reasons for consuming alcohol. Our qualitative study points to the social patterning of alcohol use and begins to explore the ways alcohol is integrated into the daily lives of women with children. The results have the potential to inform future alcohol intervention strategies in this population group.