Description
Past research has shown a correlation between "risky" behaviors such as excessive alcohol use, and unprotected sexual intercourse. This study investigates the effects of an alcohol intervention on contraception usage among low-income women in the San Diego area. One hundred and fifty low-income women were randomly assigned to either a treatment group (receiving an alcohol intervention with personalized feedback) or to a control group where they received standard information about reducing alcohol consumption with no personalized feedback. Amount of alcohol consumption in the 30 days prior to assessment was recorded, as well as contraceptive habits. Follow-up phone calls were conducted one month after baseline. Rates of contraception usage at follow-up among women in the control group versus treatment group were not significantly different (p = .193) after controlling for baseline contraception use, type of contraception used, ethnicity, and marital status. The results suggest the need for a multi-pronged approach when trying to change contraceptive behaviors among low-income women.
