Predictors of repeat pregnancies among low-income adolescents

Abstract

The authors compared a group of 58 adolescent girls who had been pregnant once during a two-year period with an age-matched group of 58 girls who had become pregnant at least twice during the same period. They found that the girls' attitudes toward contraception did not predict contraceptive use. Regular use of contraception was associated with a positive relationship between the girls and their mothers and with the presence of the girls' fathers in the home. The authors suggest that parental support of contraception plays a more important role in preventing repeat pregnancies than does the adolescents' reported attitudes toward contraception.

PIP: This study addressed the question of which adolescents would have repeat pregnancies during adolescence and what factors might predict these repeat pregnancies. Unmarried pregnant adolescents (age 12-16) were interviewed about their reactions to their pregnancy, their attitudes toward and use of contraceptives, their attitudes toward abortion, and their relations with family members. These adolescents were not psychiatry patients nor had they been referred because of psychiatric problems. It was possible to obtain follow-up data on 55% of the cases (N-187) approximately 2 years after the initial interview. These 187 cases became the core group for subsequent studies. At follow-up 58 (31%) of these adolescents had become pregnant 1 or more additional times. 58 multipregnancy subjects were matched with 58 single pregnancy subjects, using age and outcome of the 1st pregnancy (therapeutic abortion or carried to term) as matching variables. The groups were comparable on several background variables including number of siblings, years of educaton of the head of household, and marital status at the beginning of the study. While a racial balance was achieved between the combined single pregnancy and the combined multipregnancy groups, only 1 white adolescent out of a group of 30 carried her 1st pregnancy to term. Thus, a significant racial difference exists between the abortion groups and the term groups. Each of the 116 pregnant adolescents was interviewed at 3 different times: once before she underwent therapeutic abortion or gave birth and twice during follow-up sessions held 1 and 2 years later. At the same time at least 1 parent was interviewed in a separate session. Data analysis revealed 3 factors that appeared to be important in determining which adolescents did not become pregnant again during the follow-up period: a realistic approach to contraception on the part of the adolescent; a positive relationship between the adolescent and her mother; and the presence of the adolescent's father in the home. At the initial interview, 5% of the adolescents reported that they actually used contraception regularly, although 65% approved of contraceptive use. At the follow-up interview after the termination or completion of the 1st pregnancy, 71% reported regular contraceptive use despite the fact that their attitudes toward contraception remained at the same level as the initial interview. None of the single pregnangy adolescents married during the 2 years following their initial pregnancy, while 10 (17%) of the multipregnancy adolescents married. Thus, marriage is a very good predictor of a 2nd pregnancy, but a 2nd pregnancy is not a good predictor of marriage.