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Validation of the 4P's Plus© screen for substance use in pregnancy validation of the 4P's Plus

Journal of Perinatology volume 27, pages 744–748 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

The purpose of this study is to validate the 4P's Plus screen for substance use in pregnancy.

Study Design:

A total of 228 pregnant women enrolled in prenatal care underwent screening with the 4P's Plus and received a follow-up clinical assessment for substance use. Statistical analyses regarding reliability, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive validity of the 4Ps Plus were conducted.

Result:

The overall reliability for the five-item measure was 0.62. Seventy-four (32.5%) of the women had a positive screen. Sensitivity and specificity were very good, at 87 and 76%, respectively. Positive predictive validity was low (36%), but negative predictive validity was quite high (97%). Of the 31 women who had a positive clinical assessment, 45% were using less than 1 day per week.

Conclusion:

The 4P's Plus reliably and effectively screens pregnant women for risk of substance use, including those women typically missed by other perinatal screening methodologies.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported in part by a grant from Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services no. D63MC00053.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Children's Research Triangle, Chicago, IL, USA

    I J Chasnoff, A M Wells, R F McGourty & L K Bailey

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  1. I J Chasnoff
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  2. A M Wells
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  3. R F McGourty
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  4. L K Bailey
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Correspondence to I J Chasnoff.

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Chasnoff, I., Wells, A., McGourty, R. et al. Validation of the 4P's Plus© screen for substance use in pregnancy validation of the 4P's Plus. J Perinatol 27, 744–748 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7211823

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