Prevalence of illicit drug use during pregnancy between teenage and non-teenage in Thailand
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Objective: The primary outcome was to compare the prevalence of illicit drug use during pregnancy between teenage and non-teenage The secondary outcomes were to investigate the possible factors predicting of illicit drug use before and during pregnancy and also to compare the incidence of adverse maternal/neonatal outcomes and overall adverse pregnancy outcomes between the participants who had a history of illicit drug use during pregnancy and those who did not.
Material and Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Medical center, Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand, between September 2024 and May 2025. The participants were asked to complete a questionnaire to provide their information.
Results: 310 participants were enrolled. The prevalence of participants who had a history of any illicit drug use before pregnancy was 50/62 (80.6%) and 170/248 (68.5%) in the teenage and non-teenage group, respectively.Teenage pregnancy was not actually found to be a factor that predicted the risk of illicit drug use during pregnancy (Adjusted OR 0.716, 95%CI: 0.305–1.682, p-value 0.443), while a lower educational level (junior high school or lower), more than 7-hour social media use per day, and age at first sexual intercourse were statistically significantly associated with illicit drug use. Adverse neonatal outcomes were significantly higher in the participants who had a history of illicit drug use during pregnancy than those who did not .
Conclusion: Prevalence of illicit drug use during pregnancy in teenage was not different from in non-teenage. Teenagers alone is not a risk of engaging in illicit drug use. A level of education of junior high school or lower, more than 7 hours per day social media use, and a young age at first sexual intercourse were significant factors associated with a higher prevalence of illicit drug use during pregnancy.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
Tavella RA, DE Abreu VOM, Muccillo-Baisch AL, DA Silva JÚnior FMR. Prevalence of Illicit Drug Use During Pregnancy: A Global Perspective. An Acad Bras Cienc. 2020 ;92(4):e20200302.
Hanprasertpong J, Hanprasertpong T. Effects of Cigarette Smoking on Pregnancy Outcomes. Thai J Obstet Gynaecol. 2025;32:425-428.
Hanprasertpong T, Hanprasertpong J. Marijuana in Obstetric Patients. Thai J Obstet Gynaecol 2023;31:160-162.
Plessinger MA. Prenatal exposure to amphetamines: risks and adverse outcomes in pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am.1998;25(1):119-38.
Cunningham FG, Leveno KJ, Dashe JS, Hoffman BL, Spong CY, Casey BM, editors. Williams Obstetrics. 26th ed. New York; Mc Graw Hill:2022.533-46.
Vidal-García E, Vallhonrat-Bueno M, Pla-Consuegra F, Orta-Ramírez A. Efficacy of Lavender Essential Oil in Reducing Stress, Insomnia, and Anxiety in Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review. Healthcare (Basel). 2024;12(23):2456.
Castro-Navarro I, McGuire MA, Williams JE, Holdsworth EA, Meehan CL, McGuire MK. Maternal Cannabis Use during Lactation and Potential Effects on Human Milk Composition and Production: A Narrative Review. Adv Nutr. 2024;15(4):100196.
Thamkhantho M. Obstetric outcomes of amphetamine misapplication during pregnancy. J Med Assoc Thai 2018; 101 (12):1680-5
WHO Adolescents pregnancy: Available online: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-pregnancy. (accessed April 16, 2025).
Diabelková J, Rimárová K, Dorko E, Urdzík P, Houžvičková A, Argalášová Ľ. Adolescent Pregnancy Outcomes and Risk Factors. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(5):4113.
Walitzer KS, Connors GJ. Treating problem drinking. Alcohol Res Health.1999;23(2):138-43.
Problem Drinking vs.Alcoholism:Available online: https://alcohol.org/alcoholism/or-is-it-just-a-problem/. (accessed April 16, 2025).
Kim K, Yoo T, Kim Y, Choi JH, Myung SK, Park SM, et al. Association between cigarette smoking history and mortality in 36,446 health examinees in Korea. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2014;15(14):5685-9.
Homsup P, Phaloprakarn C, Tangjitgamol S, Manusirivithaya S. Maternal characteristics and pregnancy outcomes among illicit drug-using women in an urban setting. Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol. 2018;57(1):83-8.
Inthawiwat S, Rattanachaiyanont M, Leerasiri P, Manoch D, Titapant V. Increasing trend of illicit drug abuse in Thai parturient at Siriraj Hospital. J Med Assoc Thai. 2002;85(10):1081-8.
Assanangkornchai S, Saingam D, Apakupakul N, Edwards JG. Alcohol consumption, smoking, and drug use in pregnancy: Prevalence and risk factors in Southern Thailand. Asia Pac Psychiatry. 2017;9(1). doi: 10.1111/appy.12247. Epub 2016 Aug 5. PMID: 27491493.
Kim MK, Lee SM, Bae SH, Kim HJ, Lim NG, Yoon SJ, et al. Socioeconomic status can affect pregnancy outcomes and complications, even with a universal healthcare system. Int J Equity Health. 2018;17(1):2.
Lee SH, Lee SM, Lim NG, Kim HJ, Bae SH, Ock M, at al. Differences in pregnancy outcomes, prenatal care utilization, and maternal complications between teenagers and adult women in Korea: a nationwide epidemiological study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2016 ;95(34):e4630.
Xu KY, Tedrick T, Gold JA. Screen Use and Social Media "Addiction" in the Era of TikTok: What Generalists Should Know. Mo Med. 2023;120(6):440-445.
Fuller A, Vasek M, Mariconti E, Johnson SD. Understanding and preventing the advertisement and sale of illicit drugs to young people through social media: A multidisciplinary scoping review. Drug Alcohol Rev. 2024 ;43(1):56-74.
Haupt MR, Cuomo R, Li J, Nali M, Mackey TK. The influence of social media affordances on drug dealer posting behavior across multiple social networking sites (SNS). Comput Hum Behav Rep.2022;8:pp100235.
De Genna NM, Cornelius MD, Donovan JE. Risk factors for young adult substance use among women who were teenage mothers. Addict Behav. 2009;34(5):463-70.
Kendler KS, Ohlsson H, Svikis DS, Sundquist K, Sundquist J. The Protective Effect of Pregnancy on Risk for Drug Abuse: A Population, Co-Relative, Co-Spouse, and Within-Individual Analysis. Am J Psychiatry. 2017;174(10):954-962.
Siriwatanamethanon J, Nuntaboot K, Buatee S, Aryamuang S, Dodgson JLA. Strategies to prevent drug abuse among primary school students. J Behav Sci.2012;7(1):59–72.
La-Orpipat T, Suwanrath C. Pregnancy outcomes of adolescent primigravida and risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension: a hospital-based study in Southern Thailand. J Obstet Gynaecol. 2019 ;39(7):934-940.
Narukhutrpichai P, Khrutmuang D, Chattrapiban T. The obstetrics and neonatal outcomes of teenage pregnancy in Naresuan university hospital. J Med Assoc Thai. 2016 ;99(4):361-7.
Karataşl V, Kanmaz AG, İnan AH, Budak A, Beyan E. Maternal and neonatal outcomes of adolescent pregnancy. J Gynecol Obstet Hum Reprod. 2019;48(5):347-350.
Phupong V, Darojn D. Amphetamine abuse in pregnancy: the impact on obstetric outcome. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2007;276(2):167-70.
