Do Adolescents Want to Avoid Pregnancy? Attitudes Toward Pregnancy as Predictors of Pregnancy

Citation

Jaccard, J.; Dodge, T.; & Dittus, P. (2003). Do Adolescents Want to Avoid Pregnancy? Attitudes Toward Pregnancy as Predictors of Pregnancy. Journal of Adolescent Health. vol. 33 (2) pp. 79-83

Abstract

Purpose

To document the extent to which adolescents feel ambivalent towards getting pregnant and to examine the relationship between pregnancy attitudes and the occurrence of a pregnancy one year later. Demographic correlates of pregnancy attitudes also were examined.
Methods

This was a prospective study using a subsample of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) data base. The sample was 4869 adolescent females in grades 9 through 11 who completed two interviews at a one year interval. Logistic regression analyses were used to predict occurrence of a pregnancy at wave 2 from attitudes toward pregnancy at wave 1.
Results

A substantial number of adolescent females (15%–30%) reported some degree of ambivalence toward becoming pregnant relative to their peers. Adolescent females’ attitudes towards pregnancy were predictive of the occurrence of a pregnancy one year later. Additionally, demographic correlates of the pregnancy attitude were identified, including differences due to ethnicity, age, relationship status, mother’s education level, and whether the adolescent came from a one or a two parent home.
Conclusions

Results suggest that a significant minority of adolescents have some ambivalence toward pregnancy relative to their peers and that these attitudes are predictive of the occurrence of pregnancy.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1054-139X(03)00134-4

Keyword(s)

Reproductive Health

Reference Type

Journal Article

Journal Title

Journal of Adolescent Health

Author(s)

Jaccard, J.
Dodge, T.
Dittus, P.

Year Published

2003

Volume Number

33

Issue Number

2

Pages

79-83

ISSN/ISBN

1054-139X

DOI

10.1016/S1054-139X(03)00134-4

Reference ID

229