227578 Pregnancy wantedness among pregnant adolescent couples

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 : 3:10 PM - 3:30 PM

Heather Sipsma, PhD , School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT
Anna Arnold, MPH , School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT
Trace Kershaw, PhD , School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT
Background: Pregnancy wantedness has been shown to be predictive of inconsistent contraception and pregnancy among adolescent females. Her partner's pregnancy wantedness, as perceived by the young woman, has also been shown to be an important indicator of sexual risk behavior. Less is known, however, about actual pregnancy wantedness among adolescent males and concordance among young couples. This study therefore aims to examine predictors of pregnancy wantedness among adolescent females, males, and couples. Methods: Adolescent pregnant women (ages 15-22) and their partners were recruited to participate in a larger prospective cohort study examining their transition from pregnancy into parenthood. This analysis uses interview data from both partners (N=200 couples) collected during the third trimester of pregnancy. Results: Approximately 52.5% of subjects reported wanting their current pregnancies; 21.6% were unsure, and 25.9% did not want their current pregnancies. Multivariate analysis suggested the strongest correlates of wantedness were perceived partner wantedness (p<0.01), relationship satisfaction (p=0.02), and not being in school (p=0.04). Sixty-five percent of couples reported similar pregnancy wantedness. In 16% of couples, only the female partner reported wanting to be pregnant. In these relationships, females reported significantly higher social support (p=0.05) and worse mental health (p<0.01) than their partners. In 19% of couples, only the male partner reported wanting the pregnancy. These males reported significantly greater quality of life (p=0.02) and higher optimism (p=0.05) than their female partners. Conclusion: This analysis continues to validate the need for practitioners to ascertain pregnancy wantedness among both male and female adolescents and their partners.

Learning Areas:
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the role of pregnancy wantedness in pregnancy risk among adolescents. 2. Articulate the factors associated with pregnancy wantedness. 3. Discuss the implications for future research and practical interventions.

Keywords: Pregnancy, Adolescent Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to be an abstract author on pregnancy wantedness and adolescent pregnancy because it is one of my primary areas of research as a doctoral student in epidemiology at Yale University.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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