Social support reduces the risk of unintended pregnancy in a low-income population

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Almost half of all pregnancies (45%) in the United States (US) are unintended, with the highest concentration in women with low incomes. Targeted research is warranted to identify risk and protective factors that influence pregnancy intention to improve maternal/child health. Purpose: To identify individual and interpersonal level associations to pregnancy intention to use as leverage points to build resilience. Method: A cross-sectional, secondary analysis of Medicaid eligible pregnant women in Kentucky (n = 309). Results: Sixty-two percent reported their current pregnancy was unintended. Older age, partnered, negative drug screen, and increased social support were associated with decreased odds of unintended pregnancy. For every 1 unit increase of belonging and tangible social support, women were 13% and 14% (respectively) less likely to have an unintended pregnancy (OR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.78–0.97, p =.011, OR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.77–0.95, p =.005). A positive drug screen was associated with an almost three-fold increase in the odds of unintended pregnancy (OR = 2.88, 95% CI = 1.49–5.58, p =.002). Conclusion:. Public health nurses can play a critical role in reducing unintended pregnancy rates by promoting social support, inclusion, and acceptance. There remains a critical need to identify barriers and facilitators to pregnancy planning for persons who use illicit drugs.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)801-809
Number of pages9
JournalPublic Health Nursing
Volume38
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 1 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Funding

This publication was made possible by grant number 1D1CMS331140-04-00 from the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The contents of this publication are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or any of its agencies. The research presented here was conducted as a secondary analysis of the parent study, the awardee of the parent study was the co-author Dr. Kristin Ashford. Findings might or might not be consistent with or confirmed by the findings of the independent evaluation contractor. Additionally, the project utilized RedCap as a data collection tool and this was supported by the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences through grant number UL1TR001998. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH. Also the lead author was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson, Future of Nursing Scholars during the period of data collection and analysis. A small portion of this paper originally appeared in her dissertation, Reproductive Autonomy Social Context of Pregnancy Intention; A Global to Local Approach. This publication was made possible by grant number 1D1CMS331140‐04‐00 from the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The contents of this publication are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or any of its agencies. The research presented here was conducted as a secondary analysis of the parent study, the awardee of the parent study was the co‐author Dr. Kristin Ashford. Findings might or might not be consistent with or confirmed by the findings of the independent evaluation contractor. Additionally, the project utilized RedCap as a data collection tool and this was supported by the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences through grant number UL1TR001998. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH. Also the lead author was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson, Future of Nursing Scholars during the period of data collection and analysis. A small portion of this paper originally appeared in her dissertation, . Reproductive Autonomy Social Context of Pregnancy Intention; A Global to Local Approach

FundersFunder number
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)UL1TR001998

    Keywords

    • cross-sectional studies
    • maternal–child health
    • pregnancy
    • quantitative research
    • reproductive health
    • social support
    • substance use
    • vulnerable populations

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • General Nursing
    • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Social support reduces the risk of unintended pregnancy in a low-income population'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this