Variation in Pregnancy Intendedness Across U.S. Women’s Pregnancies

Abstract

How stable are women's pregnancy intentions across their reproductive lifespans? Are there demographic, social, or attitudinal characteristics that are associated with differing pregnancy intentions patterns? Patterns of intendedness across pregnancies were examined using a sample of 3,110 women ages 25-45 who have been pregnant at least twice from the National Survey of Fertility Barriers. Multinomial logistic regression analyses assessed associations between patterns of intentions and respondents' economic/social status, values and ideologies to determine if intentions are a stable characteristic or pregnancy-specific. The majority of women (60 %) reported varying intendedness across individual pregnancies, indicating that intendedness tends to be pregnancy-specific. Sociodemographic status as well as values and ideologies were significantly associated with pregnancy intendedness patterns. Compared to women who intended each pregnancy, women who were ambivalent, did not intend each pregnancy, or had intermittent intendedness were more likely to be single, younger, Black, report lower importance of motherhood and religiosity and were less likely to be Hispanic. A substantial proportion of women report the intendedness of their pregnancies varied between pregnancies. Research and policy addressing unintended pregnancies should consider that pregnancy intentions are not a static characteristic of most women.

Factors associated with unintended pregnancy in Brazil: cross-sectional results from the Birth in Brazil National Survey, 2011/2012

“…In terms of associated factors, unintended pregnancy in this sample was predominantly more likely with younger age, brown and yellow skin color, lower schooling level, not having a partner, not having a paid job, alcohol abuse and tobacco use. The effect of sociodemographic and individual variables is consistent with literature on intention of pregnancy at conception and showed the high degree of social vulnerability of these women [ 19 , 20 ]. Prietsch and colleagues [ 18 ], investigating the factors associated with unplanned pregnancy in a sample of women in Southern Brazil, found statistically significant association between having an unplanned pregnancy and having black and brown skin color, being a teenager, being single, having a low income, being a smoker and having multiparity.…”

Pregnancy intentions—a complex construct and call for new measures

“…However, given the complex emotional, psychological, and cultural factors at play, often behaviors do not align with intentions (10, 14, 24–26), and intentions may change over time (27–29). Indeed many women express ambivalence regarding their pregnancy intentions (30–33), and formulating plans for a pregnancy may seem unrealistic for many women as they do not perceive themselves as having reproductive control (34).…”

Are Uncertain Fertility Intentions a Temporary or Long-term Outlook? Findings from a Panel Study

“…When Shreffler et al retrospectively examined intentions across individual women's pregnancies, they found that 60% of women did not report the same intention for all pregnancies (Shreffler, Greil, Mitchell, & McQuillan, 2015). Morgan examined fertility intentions stratified by age and parity across several data sources, and his findings suggested that uncertain fertility intentions represent a transitional stage from childbearing to post-childbearing, (Morgan, 1982).…”