{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,24]],"date-time":"2026-10-24T01:53:45Z","timestamp":1792806825595,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,16]],"date-time":"2023-11-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1700092800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"the University of Seville","id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03yxnpp24","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Toxics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>(1) Background: Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is a major concern, particularly in Europe and North America. Its prevalence has so far been under-researched. In most studies, the determination of this consumption may be underestimated, as it is based on the information obtained from questionnaires rather than from biomarkers, which will provide a much more reliable approach. The main objective of this study was to compare the prevalence of consumption during pregnancy as assessed by a questionnaire and a hair biomarker. (2) Method: A cross-sectional study with a random sample of 425 pregnant women treated in public hospital consultations in Seville (Spain) and in the 20th week of their pregnancy, orally interviewed using an elaborated ad hoc questionnaire that evaluated variables of sociodemographic, obstetric, and alcohol consumption. Furthermore, the ethyl glucuronide metabolite (EtG) was tested on a hair sample in 252 pregnant women who agreed to facilitate it. Once the data obtained through the questionnaire and hair test were analyzed, the level of metabolites and self-reported alcohol consumption were compared. (3) Results: The prevalence of self-reported alcohol consumption (questionnaire) was 20.7%, and the real consumption (metabolite analysis) was 20.2%. In 16.8% of pregnant women who declared not consuming alcohol during their pregnancy, noticeable consumption was detected according to the metabolite test. No relevant level of variability in estimated alcohol consumption was detected in the biomarker with respect to the sociodemographic and obstetric variables studied. (4) Conclusions: The prevalence of alcohol consumption during pregnancy obtained through both questionnaires and metabolite analyses was similar and high. There is no association between consumption and sociodemographic factors in this sample. The determination of consumption through biomarkers allows for a more accurate approximation of the prevalence of consumption than estimated through questionnaires. Larger sample-sized studies are needed to determine consumption patterns and thus guide the adoption of more precise policies fostering abstinence from alcohol consumption since the preconception period.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/toxics11110930","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,16]],"date-time":"2023-11-16T08:19:43Z","timestamp":1700122783000},"page":"930","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Alcohol Consumption Assessed by a Biomarker and Self-Reported Drinking in a Sample of Pregnant Women in the South of Europe: A Comparative Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6317-2668","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Isabel","family":"Corrales-Gutierrez","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Foetal Medicine Unit, University Hospital Virgen Macarena, 41009 Seville, Spain"},{"name":"Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Seville, 41009 Seville, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4651-0439","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Diego","family":"Gomez-Baya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Social, Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain"},{"name":"Research Group on Health Promotion and Development of Lifestyle across the Lifespan, University of Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9475-0440","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fatima","family":"Leon-Larios","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Podiatry, University of Seville, 41009 Seville, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Roc\u00edo","family":"Medero-Canela","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Multiprofessional Teaching Unit for Family and Community Care in Huelva, Huelva Costa Condado Campi\u00f1a Health District, 21001 Huelva, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7158-6032","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Emilia","family":"Marchei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto Superiore di Sanit\u00e1, 00161 Roma, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ramon","family":"Mendoza-Berjano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Social, Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain"},{"name":"Research Group on Health Promotion and Development of Lifestyle across the Lifespan, University of Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5708-4362","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"\u00d3scar","family":"Garc\u00eda-Algar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neonatology Unit, Hospital Clinic, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"132","DOI":"10.1097\/00007691-200304000-00002","article-title":"Children of Alcoholic Parents\u2014Observed Anomalies: Discussion of 127 Cases","volume":"25","author":"Lemoine","year":"2003","journal-title":"Ther. 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