Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #114204

Lisa Angus, MPH, Womens & Reproductive Health, Oregon Department of Human Services, 800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 850, Portland, OR 97232, 503-731-8450, lisa.angus@state.or.us and Kenneth D. Rosenberg, MD, MPH, Office of Family Health, Oregon Department of Human Services, 800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 850, Portland, OR 97232.

Unintended pregnancy is a topic of concern for public health practitioners, legislators, women, their partners, and their families. A sizeable body of research has shown that, at the population level, unintended pregnancies are more likely among younger, unmarried, minority, and low-income women. Such findings have prompted numerous interventions aimed at increasing access to and use of contraception among these populations. However, several important studies have also demonstrated that pregnancy intent is only imperfectly related to contraceptive behavior. In one, almost a third of women who had conceived while apparently using birth control were still classified as having had intended pregnancies, while almost half of unintended pregnancies occurred to couples who were not using birth control. We use Oregon PRAMS (Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System) data for 2000 and 2001 to assess whether the predictors of pregnancy intent are the same for users and non-users of birth control at conception. Preliminary bivariate analyses show that intendedness is associated with non-use of birth control at conception (unadjusted OR 5.9, 95% CI: 5.0 – 7.0), but that the strength of the relationship varies significantly by race/ethnicity, age, poverty status, and whether Medicaid paid for prenatal care. We will conduct stratified logistic regression to explore the extent to which contraceptive use and other independent variables contribute to intended pregnancies among different population groups. The results of this analysis will have significant implications for unintended pregnancy prevention efforts and for research on the meaning and measurement of pregnancy intent.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant will be able to

• Assess the interaction between contraceptive use and other predictors of pregnancy intent among different population groups
• Discuss how these relationships might inform future efforts to support contraceptive use and prevent unintended pregnancies

Keywords: Contraception, MCH Epidemiology

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.