Heidi Moseson1, Christine Dehlendorf2, Caitlin Gerdts3, Eric Vittinghoff4, Robert A Hiatt5, Jennifer Barber6. 1. Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, 550 16(th) Street, 2(nd) floor, San Francisco, CA, USA 94158. Electronic address: hmoseson@ibisreproductivehealth.org. 2. Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, 550 16(th) Street, 2(nd) floor, San Francisco, CA, USA 94158; Department of Family & Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 500 Parnassus Ave, MUE3, San Francisco, CA, USA 94143. Electronic address: cdehlendorf@fcm.ucsf.edu. 3. Ibis Reproductive Health, 1330 Broadway St, Suite 1100, Oakland, CA, USA 94612. Electronic address: cgerdts@ibisreproductivehealth.org. 4. Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, 550 16(th) Street, 2(nd) floor, San Francisco, CA, USA 94158. Electronic address: eric.vittinghoff@ucsf.edu. 5. Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, 550 16(th) Street, 2(nd) floor, San Francisco, CA, USA 94158. Electronic address: robert.hiatt@ucsf.edu. 6. Department of Sociology and Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 500 S State Street, Ann Arbor, MI, USA 48109. Electronic address: jebarber@umich.edu.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Young women may experience social barriers to achieving their reproductive goals. This analysis explored whether low social support may contribute to the high incidence of undesired pregnancy in young women in the United States. STUDY DESIGN: Using 6 months of data from a prospective cohort of 970 women ages 18-22 years in the United States, we described contraceptive use and applied multivariable logistic regression and standardization to estimate adjusted odds and absolute risk of undesired pregnancy among women reporting low social support versus higher social support. We investigated several measures of contraceptive use as possible explanations for this pathway. RESULTS: Sixty-five pregnancies were reported in the 6 months of the study, of which 30 (46%) were classified as undesired prior to conception. Among young women who reported low social support, 8% reported an undesired pregnancy during the study period as compared to 3% of the young women who reported higher levels of social support. Among non-black women, those who reported low social support had nearly seven times the odds of an undesired pregnancy as compared to women who reported higher social support (aOR: 6.8, 95%CI: 1.7, 27.1). We found no association between social support and undesired pregnancy among young black women. Contraceptive method use differed by social support at baseline, and throughout follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Low social support - defined as the feeling of not having anyone to turn to - may be a risk factor for persistently high levels of undesired pregnancy among young women in the U.S. This association may be driven by differences in contraceptive use by level of social support. IMPLICATIONS: Interventions to increase young women's perceptions of social support may reduce the risk of undesired pregnancy for some individuals.
OBJECTIVE: Young women may experience social barriers to achieving their reproductive goals. This analysis explored whether low social support may contribute to the high incidence of undesired pregnancy in young women in the United States. STUDY DESIGN: Using 6 months of data from a prospective cohort of 970 women ages 18-22 years in the United States, we described contraceptive use and applied multivariable logistic regression and standardization to estimate adjusted odds and absolute risk of undesired pregnancy among women reporting low social support versus higher social support. We investigated several measures of contraceptive use as possible explanations for this pathway. RESULTS: Sixty-five pregnancies were reported in the 6 months of the study, of which 30 (46%) were classified as undesired prior to conception. Among young women who reported low social support, 8% reported an undesired pregnancy during the study period as compared to 3% of the young women who reported higher levels of social support. Among non-black women, those who reported low social support had nearly seven times the odds of an undesired pregnancy as compared to women who reported higher social support (aOR: 6.8, 95%CI: 1.7, 27.1). We found no association between social support and undesired pregnancy among young black women. Contraceptive method use differed by social support at baseline, and throughout follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Low social support - defined as the feeling of not having anyone to turn to - may be a risk factor for persistently high levels of undesired pregnancy among young women in the U.S. This association may be driven by differences in contraceptive use by level of social support. IMPLICATIONS: Interventions to increase young women's perceptions of social support may reduce the risk of undesired pregnancy for some individuals.
Authors: Elizabeth Miller; Michele R Decker; Heather L McCauley; Daniel J Tancredi; Rebecca R Levenson; Jeffrey Waldman; Phyllis Schoenwald; Jay G Silverman Journal: Contraception Date: 2010-01-27 Impact factor: 3.375
Authors: Brett Stark; Jaclyn M W Hughto; Brittany M Charlton; Madeline B Deutsch; Jennifer Potter; Sari L Reisner Journal: Contraception Date: 2019-08-07 Impact factor: 3.375