Acculturation and changes in the likelihood of pregnancy and feelings about pregnancy among women of Mexican origin

Abstract

This study explored the changes that occur with acculturation in the likelihood that women of Mexican origin in the United States get pregnant, that they considered their pregnancies intended, and that they were happy about their pregnancies. Data were from 924 women of Mexican origin in the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth. Results showed that, controlling for underlying differences in age and parity, Mexican-origin women born in the United States were less likely to conceive a pregnancy than first-generation immigrants (O.R. = 0.69, C.I. 0.56-0.83), but the pregnancies they conceived were less likely to be intended (O.R. = 0.53, C.I. 0.35-0.79), and they were less likely to be happy about them (O.R. = 0.76, C.I. 0.57-1.01). These changes were associated with the decreases in marriage, poverty, and Catholic religiosity that occurred between first-generation immigrants and women of later generations. Findings highlight the unmet need for effective family planning among women of all generations of migration, but particularly those born in the United States.