Understanding Relationships Between Fetal Health Locus of Control (FHLC) and Maternal Marijuana Use During Pregnancy.
Aaron Murnan, Sarah Keim, Mark Klebanoff
PMID 35075917WHAT IT FOUND
Beliefs about who controls fetal health were not linked to marijuana use during pregnancy.
Women who saw use as riskier for the baby were less likely to have used it, and those who saw it as more beneficial for themselves were more likely.
Key findings
01In this sample of 183 mothers, 55 were identified as using marijuana during pregnancy.
02After adjustment, perceived risk to the baby was associated with lower use, and perceived benefit to the mother was associated with higher use.
03Fetal health locus of control was not directly related to use, although internal control was associated with higher perceived risk.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Women were asked about their beliefs years after delivery, not during pregnancy, so the survey may not capture what they believed while using marijuana. The perception questions referred to a hypothetical pregnancy, not the woman's own pregnancy. This was a secondary analysis of existing repository data and was not powered for these questions. The sample was small and came from one medical center, so it may not apply to other settings. Marijuana use was classified from urine tests, obstetric records, and self-report, but the paper does not report amount or frequency. The study measured associations, not an intervention, so it cannot show that changing beliefs changes behavior.
Declared interests
The supplied article text does not include a funding or conflict-of-interest declaration. The publication types list NIH extramural and non-U.S. government support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the risk-perception association as proof that telling pregnant patients about fetal risk will reduce marijuana use. The study was observational, perceptions were measured after pregnancy, and no intervention was tested.