Abstract
Study Objective: To identify factors associated with a positive pregnancy attitude among sexually active US teen females. Design: Secondary database analysis of the National Survey of Family Growth. Participants: Adolescent females 15-19 years old. Setting: Nationally representative sample. Methods: Bivariate and multivariable analyses were performed of the 2002 and 2006-08 cycles to examine whether sociodemographic factors, contraceptive history, sexual education and behavior history, medical services history, and family and sexual attitudes were associated with a positive pregnancy attitude among sexually active teen females. Results: Among the 975 sexually active US adolescent females surveyed, 15% reported a positive pregnancy attitude. Compared with adolescent females with a negative pregnancy attitude, those females with a positive pregnancy attitude were significantly (P < .05) more likely to have public insurance (43% vs 20%), to be poor (33% vs 10%), to have reached menarche at an earlier age (12 years old vs 13 years old), ever have HIV tested (35% vs 23%), but less likely to have ever been forced to have sex (1% vs 10%). In multivariable analyses, Latino race/ethnicity was associated with triple the odds, and African-American double the odds, of a positive pregnancy attitude. Older age of menarche and higher family income were associated with reduced odds of a positive pregnancy attitude. Conclusions: One in 7 sexually active US adolescent females had a positive pregnancy attitude. Minority race/ethnicity was associated with greater odds of a positive pregnancy attitude, whereas older age of menarche and a higher family income were associated with lower odds of a positive pregnancy attitude. Assessing pregnancy attitudes for these groups of adolescent females might prove useful to decrease adolescent pregnancy rates.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 210-215 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Journal of pediatric and adolescent gynecology |
Volume | 27 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 2014 |
Keywords
- Adolescent pregnancy
- Attitudes
- Risk factors
- Secondary database analysis
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
- Obstetrics and Gynecology