Prevalence and predictors of unintended pregnancy among women: an analysis of the Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey

Abstract

BackgroundUnintended pregnancies (mistimed or unwanted during the time of conception) can result in adverse outcomes both to the mother and to her newborn. Further research on identifying the characteristics of unintended pregnant women who are at risk is warranted. The present study aims to examine the prevalence and predictors of unintended pregnancy among Canadian women.MethodsThe analysis was based on the 2006 Maternity Experiences Survey targeting women who were at least 15 years of age and who had a singleton live birth, between February 15, 2006 to May 15, 2006 in the Canadian provinces and November 1, 2005 to February 1, 2006 for women in the Canadian territories. The primary outcome was the mother’s pregnancy intention, where unintended pregnancy was defined as women who wanted to become pregnant later or not at all. Sociodemographic, maternal and pregnancy related variables were considered for a multivariable logistic regression.ResultsAdjusted Odds Ratios (OR) and 95 % Confidence Intervals (95 % CI) were reported. Overall, the prevalence of unintended pregnancy among Canadian women was 27 %. The odds of experiencing an unintended pregnancy were statistically significantly increased if the mother was: under 20 years of age, immigrated to Canada, had an equivalent of a high school education or less, no partner, experienced violence or abuse and had 1 or more previous pregnancies. Additionally, mothers who reported smoking, drinking alcohol and using drugs prior to becoming pregnant, were all associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing an unintended pregnancy.ConclusionThe study findings constitute the basis for future research into these associations to aid in developing effective policy changes and interventions to minimize the odds of experiencing an unintended pregnancy and its associated consequences.

Pregnancy incidence and intention after HIV diagnosis among women living with HIV in Canada

“…Such rates are significantly higher than recent estimates among Canadian women of reproductive age in the general population, among whom an estimated 27% of pregnancies are unintended [64]. Pregnancy termination occurred in one in five pregnancies among WLWH in our sample.…”

The causal web of foetal alcohol spectrum disorders: a review and causal diagram

“…In the UK, up to 91% of women aged 16-45 report drinking alcohol and excessive consumption is common [50,51]. Few women follow guidance for prenatal alcohol use when planning a pregnancy [52] and alcohol use increases the risk of unplanned pregnancy [53][54][55][56]. Therefore, alcohol use prior to pregnancy is a significant risk factor for FASD.…”

“…Among a sample of mothers of children with foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) in the USA, 73% of live births were unplanned [134]. Unplanned pregnancy is more common among women who drink regularly and/or binge drink [53][54][55][56] and binge drinking is associated with inadequate methods of contraception [148]. Therefore, the risk of unintended PAE during the periconceptual period is high.…”

“…Other factors associated with an increased risk of unplanned pregnancy include low SES, single marital status, exposure to intimate partner violence, smoking, illicit drug use and younger maternal age, while religion is associated with a decreased risk [53,54,56,134,135,152]. Some of these factors may be causal and others may be risk markers for unplanned pregnancy due to their association with other causal factors.…”

Consumo De Bebidas Alcoólicas Durante a Gravidez

“…Korinek e Smith (2011) verificaram que o consumo de álcool, era preditor de vigilância inadequada de gravidez (álcool OR=1,54 p<0,05). Oulman, Kim, Yunis, & Tamim (2015) observaram uma maior probabilidade de ocorrência de gravidezes indesejadas nas mulheres que consumiram bebidas alcoóli-cas antes de engravidarem.…”