Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
 
Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health
Volume 37, Number 4, December 2005

Pregnancy Planning Status and Health Behaviors Among Nonpregnant Women in a California Managed Health Care Organization

By Kathleen Green-Raleigh, Jean M. Lawrence, Huichao Chen, Owen Devine and Christine Prue

CONTEXT: Women's behaviors before and during pregnancy can affect their infants' health. Particularly because many births in the United States are unintended, it is important to understand women's health behaviors and pregnancy planning status before they become pregnant.

METHODS: A telephone survey of nonpregnant women of childbearing age who belonged to a Southern California managed care plan was conducted from 1998 through 2000. Survey data were analyzed in logistic regression models assessing differences in selected behaviors between women planning pregnancy and others.

RESULTS: Compared with women not planning pregnancy, those planning pregnancy within the next year ("soon") were less likely to report smoking (odds ratio, 0.6), and more likely to report taking a multivitamin regularly (1.4) and having had a health care visit in the past year (1.6). Women planning a pregnancy more than one year in the future had elevated odds of reporting alcohol use (1.4); they were similar to women not planning pregnancy with respect to multivitamin use and smoking behavior. Women planning pregnancy soon were more likely than women not planning pregnancy to report that a health care professional had talked to them about taking a vitamin or mineral supplement (1.6).

CONCLUSIONS: All women of childbearing age need information about the importance of engaging in healthy behaviors. Health care providers who have regular contact with such women should send clear messages about the adverse effects of alcohol and smoking during pregnancy and the importance of taking a multivitamin regularly, regardless of women's pregnancy plans, before they become pregnant.

Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2005, 37(4):179–183

DOI:10.1363/3717905







 

 
 

Kathleen Green-Raleigh is epidemic intelligence service officer, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta. Jean M. Lawrence is research scientist and epidemiologist, Department of Research and Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena. Huichao Chen is a doctoral student, Department of Biostatistics, Emory University, Atlanta. Owen Devine is lead statistician, and Christine Prue is behavioral scientist, both at the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.