What drive pregnancy intentions among Latino youth?

One out of two Latina adolescents becomes pregnant before the age of 20, leaving many to wonder whether these pregnancies are intended or the result of a complex social environment. To identify the demographic and social factors that affect pregnancy intentions we developed and administered a survey to 949 Latino male and female youths in one Mid Atlantic community. The survey included a newly developed pregnancy wantedness scale (PWS) that assessed pregnancy attitudes, and demographic, social and acculturation variables. Multiple linear regression was used to determine the correlation between social and demographic variables to the PWS score. The sample was split into four mutually exclusive groups based on gender and sexual experience.

Although each youth group had different factors associated with pregnancy wantedness, living with a mother, having higher levels of acculturation, having lower levels of religiosity, being a lawful citizen or resident, and having a mother with higher education level were associated with lower levels of pregnancy wantedness. Protective behavior, such as contraception use, was not significantly associated to pregnancy wantedness in most groups.

This study suggests that external social factors hard to modify play an important role in youth's pregnancy wantedness. Education programs to reducing Latino teen birth must pay attention to personal differences based on gender and the sexual experience of youth. Also, they must address external social factors that youth's are not able to control, such as their integration into the American society, parental education or living arrangements.