| Table 1. Percentage distribution of young women aged 20 and younger, by background characteristics, and percentage reporting various types and sources of influence, according to how pregnancy was resolved | ||
| Characteristic/influence | Motherhood | Abortion |
| (N=1,122) | (N=202) | |
| % DISTRIBUTIONS | ||
| Area of residence | ||
| Suburban | 48.5 | 50.5 |
| Rural and remote | 48.1 | 31.2 |
| Inner urban | 3.4 | 18.3 |
| Living arrangement at time of conception | ||
| With family of origin | 47.7 | 73.8 |
| With partner and his family | 42.2 | 15.3 |
| Alone/with peers | 10.2 | 10.9 |
| Religion | ||
| No religion | 27.4 | 38.2 |
| Catholic | 25.3 | 24.1 |
| Other Christian | 44.4 | 35.7 |
| Muslim/other non-Christian | 3.0 | 2.0 |
| Origin | ||
| Australian/English-speaking | 88.1 | 85.1 |
| Non-English-speaking | 4.9 | 13.9 |
| Indigenous | 7.0 | 1.0 |
| Age at conception (years) | ||
| <17 | 26.0 | 31.7 |
| 18-20 | 74.0 | 68.3 |
| Marital status at conception | ||
| Not married | 91.8 | 99.0 |
| Married | 8.2 | 1.0 |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| INFLUENCES | ||
| Type of influence | ||
| Direct, toward abortion | 24.8 | 39.1 |
| Direct, toward birth | 19.3 | 21.3 |
| Indirect, toward abortion | 17.2 | 31.7 |
| Indirect, toward birth | 56.8 | 38.1 |
| Type and source of influence | ||
| Mother, indirect, toward birth | 50.7 | 33.2 |
| Sister, indirect, toward birth | 16.7 | 9.9 |
| Mother, indirect, toward abortion | 10.5 | 21.3 |
| Sister, indirect, toward abortion | 7.9 | 11.4 |
| Partner, direct, toward abortion | 6.1 | 34.2 |
| Parents, direct, toward abortion | 10.7 | 14.4 |
| Partner, direct, toward birth | 15.3 | 5.9 |
| Parents, direct, toward birth | 6.0 | 5.9 |
| Table 2. Percentage distribution of teenagers reporting direct influence from significant others that was contrary to their pregnancy resolution decision, by identity of significant other, according to living arrangement at time of conception | ||||
| Influence/identity | Total | Family of origin | Partner and his family | Alone/with peers |
| Significant others who influenced young women in the abortion group toward motherhood | (N=202) | (N=149) | (N=31) | (N=22) |
| No one | 79.9 | 83.6 | 61.3 | 81.8 |
| Partner | 5.9 | 3.4 | 22.6 | 0.0 |
| Mother/father | 4.0 | 2.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| Other family | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Partner's family | 2.0 | 1.3 | 6.5 | 0.0 |
| Friends | 6.9 | 8.1 | 0.0 | 9.1 |
| Church/doctor/school/other | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Significant others who influenced young women in the motherhood group toward abortion | (N=1,122) | (N=535) | (N=473) | (N=114) |
| No one | 75.8 | 68.7 | 86.4 | 64.9 |
| Partner | 6.1 | 8.2 | 2.5 | 11.4 |
| Mother/father | 7.4 | 9.0 | 4.7 | 11.4 |
| Other family | 2.9 | 4.5 | 1.7 | 0.9 |
| Partner's family | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 2.6 |
| Friends | 1.8 | 2.4 | 0.6 | 3.5 |
| Church/doctor/school/other | 2.7 | 3.8 | 0.7 | 5.3 |
| Significant others who influenced young women in the motherhood group toward adoption* | (N=1,122) | (N=535) | (N=473) | (N=114) |
| No one | 94.9 | 92.5 | 98.3 | 92.1 |
| Partner | 0.6 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Mother/father | 2.4 | 3.7 | 0.4 | 4.4 |
| Other family | 0.9 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.0 |
| Partner's family | 0.6 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.9 |
| Friends | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 2.6 |
| Church/doctor/school/other | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| *Two women (1%) who chose abortion said they were influenced by their parents to choose adoption. | ||||
| Table 3. Percentage of teenagers reporting direct influence from significant others that was consistent with their pregnancy resolution decision, by identity of significant other, according to living arrangement at time of conception | ||||
| Identity | Total | Family of origin | Partner and his | Alone/with peers |
| Chose abortion | (N=202) | (N=149) | (N=31) | (N=22) |
| No one | 60.9 | 62.4 | 64.5 | 45.5 |
| Partner | 34.2 | 32.2 | 29.0 | 54.5 |
| Mother | 14.4 | 13.4 | 16.1 | 18.2 |
| Father | 5.9 | 3.4 | 16.1 | 9.1 |
| Chose motherhood | (N=1,122) | (N=535) | (N=473) | (N=114) |
| No one | 80.7 | 81.7 | 78.6 | 85.1 |
| Partner | 15.3 | 12.9 | 18.6 | 13.2 |
| Mother | 5.6 | 8.0 | 3.2 | 4.4 |
| Father | 2.1 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 1.8 |
| Note: Percentages do not add to 100, as multiple responses were possible. | ||||
| Table 4. Percentage distribution of teenagers, by mother's, sister's and friend's ages at first birth, according to pregnancy resolution group | ||||
| Significant other and ae | Abortion | Motherhood | ||
| and age | N | % | N | % |
| Mother's age at first birth (years)** | ||||
| <20 | 67 | 34.2 | 569 | 53.6 |
| 21-25 | 67 | 34.2 | 296 | 27.9 |
| >=26 | 62 | 31.6 | 196 | 18.5 |
| Total | 196 | 100.0 | 1,061 | 100.0 |
| Sister's age at first birth*,† | ||||
| No children | 113 | 57.9 | 510 | 46.7 |
| <20 years | 20 | 10.3 | 187 | 17.1 |
| >=21 years | 15 | 7.7 | 114 | 10.4 |
| No sister | 47 | 24.1 | 282 | 25.8 |
| Total | 195 | 100.0 | 1,093 | 100.0 |
| Friend's age at first birth**,‡ | ||||
| No children | 76 | 37.6 | 174 | 16.2 |
| <20 years | 106 | 52.5 | 566 | 52.7 |
| >=21 years | 20 | 9.9 | 333 | 31.0 |
| Total | 202 | 100.0 | 1,073 | 100.0 |
| *Difference between abortion and motherhood groups is statistically significant at p<.05. **Difference between abortion and motherhood groups is statistically significant at p<.01. †Two teenagers in the abortion group and 13 in the motherhood group had sisters with children but did not provide their sister's age at first birth. ‡Forty-four teenagers had friends with children but did not provide their friend's age at first birth. Note: Young women's responses were statistically compared using *2tests. | ||||
| Table 5. Percentage distribution of teenagers, by reported abortion experiences of significant others and whether young women discussed these experiences with them, according to pregnancy resolution group | ||||
| Experience | Abortion | Motherhood | ||
| N | % | N | % | |
| Has your mother ever had an abortion?** | ||||
| Yes | 43 | 21.3 | 118 | 10.6 |
| No | 130 | 64.4 | 821 | 73.8 |
| Don't know | 29 | 14.4 | 174 | 15.6 |
| Total | 202 | 100.0 | 1,113 | 100.0 |
| Have you ever discussed her abortion experience?*,† | ||||
| Yes | 37 | 86.0 | 77 | 65.3 |
| No | 6 | 14.0 | 41 | 34.7 |
| Total | 43 | 100.0 | 118 | 100.0 |
| Has your sister ever had an abortion?‡ | ||||
| Yes | 23 | 15.0 | 89 | 10.8 |
| No | 124 | 81.0 | 665 | 80.7 |
| Don't know | 6 | 3.9 | 70 | 8.5 |
| Total | 153 | 100.0 | 824 | 100.0 |
| Have you ever discussed her abortion experience?*,† | ||||
| Yes | 18 | 78.3 | 47 | 53.4 |
| No | 5 | 21.7 | 41 | 46.6 |
| Total | 23 | 100.0 | 88 | 100.0 |
| Has your friend ever had an abortion? | ||||
| Yes | 122 | 60.4 | 613 | 55.7 |
| No | 56 | 27.7 | 314 | 28.5 |
| Don't know | 24 | 11.9 | 174 | 15.8 |
| Total | 202 | 100.0 | 1,101 | 100.0 |
| Have you ever discussed her abortion experience?† | ||||
| Yes | 100 | 82.0 | 429 | 70.2 |
| No | 22 | 18.0 | 182 | 29.8 |
| Total | 122 | 100.0 | 611 | 100.0 |
| *Difference between abortion and motherhood groups is statistically significant at p<.05. **Difference between abortion and motherhood groups is statistically significant at p<.01. †Only among those whose mother, sister or friend had had an abortion. ‡Forty-nine young women in the abortion group and 298 in the motherhood group had no sister. Note: Young women's responses were statistically compared using *2 tests. | ||||
| Table 6. Multivariate coefficients and odds ratios (and standard errors) from two logistic regression models of the effects of type of influence and background characteristics on teenagers' pregnancy resolution decision | ||||
| Type of influence and characteristic | Model I | Model II | ||
| Coefficient | Odds ratio | Coefficient | Odds ratio | |
| Type of influence | ||||
| Direct, toward abortion | 0.55 | 1.73** (0.16) | na | na |
| Direct, toward birth | 0.04 | 1.04 (0.19) | na | na |
| Indirect, toward abortion | 0.87 | 2.39** (0.18) | na | na |
| Indirect, toward birth | -0.81 | 0.45** (0.16) | na | na |
| Area of residence | ||||
| Suburban (ref) | na | na | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Rural and remote | na | na | -0.99 | 0.37** (0.33) |
| Inner urban | na | na | 1.44 | 4.23**(0.50) |
| Religious affiliation | ||||
| No affiliation (ref) | na | na | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Catholic | na | na | -0.74 | 0.48** (0.24) |
| Other Christian | na | na | -0.57 | 0.20 |
| Muslim/other non-Christian | na | na | -1.55 | 0.21* (0.67) |
| Origin | ||||
| Australian/English-speaking (ref) | na | na | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Non-English-speaking | na | na | 1.24 | 3.46** (0.32) |
| Indigenous | na | na | -1.73 | 0.18* (0.73) |
| Age at conception | ||||
| <17 (ref) | na | na | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| 18-20 | na | na | -0.21 | 0.81 (0.19) |
| Marital status at conception | ||||
| Not married (ref) | na | na | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Married | na | na | -2.11 | 0.12* (0.80) |
| Interaction of area of residence and type of influence | ||||
| Suburban | ||||
| Direct, toward abortion | na | na | 0.43 | 1.54 (0.25) |
| Direct, toward birth | na | na | 0.21 | 1.24 (0.31) |
| Indirect, toward abortion | na | na | 1.58 | 4.83** (0.27) |
| Indirect, toward birth | na | na | -1.83 | 0.16** (0.29) |
| Rural and remote | ||||
| Direct, toward abortion | na | na | 1.17 | 3.21** (0.29) |
| Direct, toward birth | na | na | -0.28 | 0.76 (0.35) |
| Indirect, toward abortion | na | na | 0.36 | 1.44 (0.34) |
| Indirect, toward birth | na | na | 0.22 | 1.25 (0.29) |
| Inner urban | ||||
| Direct, toward abortion | na | na | -1.38 | 0.25 (0.77) |
| Direct, toward birth | na | na | 2.62 | 13.8* (1.11) |
| Indirect, toward abortion | na | na | -2.15 | 0.12** (0.72) |
| Indirect influence toward birth | na | na | 1.87 | 6.51* (0.69) |
| Constant | -1.72 | 0.13 | -1.02 | 0.26 |
| -2 Log likelihood (df) | 1070.182 | (4) | 876.748 | (21) |
| Cox & Snell pseudo R2 | 0.05 | 0.17 | ||
| No. of cases | 1,324 | 1,310 | ||
| *p<.05. ** p<.01. Notes: ref=reference group. Dependent variable coded as 1=abortion and 0=motherhood. | ||||
| Table 7. Multivariate coefficients and odds ratios (and standard errors) from two logistic regression models of the effects of source and type of influence and background characteristics on teenagers' pregnancy resolution decision | ||||
| Source/type of influence and characteristics | Model I | Model II | ||
| Coefficient | Odds ratio | Coefficient | Odds ratio | |
| Source and type of influence | ||||
| Mother, indirect, toward birth | -0.84 | 0.43** (0.18) | na | na |
| Sister, indirect, toward birth | -0.40 | 0.67 (0.27) | -0.26 | 0.77 (0.30) |
| Mother, indirect, toward abortion | 0.75 | 2.13** (0.22) | na | na |
| Sister, indirect, toward abortion | 0.78 | 2.18** (0.27) | 0.85 | 2.35** (0.31) |
| Partner, direct, toward abortion | 2.12 | 8.31** (0.21) | 2.34 | 10.40** (0.24) |
| Parents, direct, toward abortion | 0.15 | 1.16 (0.25) | 0.08 | 1.08 (0.27) |
| Partner, direct, toward birth | -0.75 | 0.47* (0.32) | -0.76 | 0.47* (0.38) |
| Parents, direct, toward birth | -0.37 | 0.69 (0.36) | -0.28 | 0.75 (0.41) |
| Area of residence | ||||
| Suburban (ref) | na | na | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Rural and remote | na | na | -0.31 | 0.73 (0.26) |
| Inner urban | na | na | 1.26 | 3.53** (0.42) |
| Religious affiliation | ||||
| No affiliation (ref) | na | na | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Catholic | na | na | -0.65 | 0.52* (0.25) |
| Other Christian | na | na | -0.59 | 0.55* (0.22) |
| Muslim/other non-Christian | na | na | -1.16 | 0.31 (0.65) |
| Origin | ||||
| Australian/English-speaking (ref) | na | na | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Non-English-speaking | na | na | 1.14 | 3.14** (0.33) |
| Indigenous | na | na | -1.47 | 0.23 (0.74) |
| Age at conception | ||||
| <17 (ref) | na | na | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| 18-20 | na | na | -0.44 | 0.64* (0.20) |
| Marital status at conception | ||||
| Not married (ref) | na | na | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Married | na | na | -1.53 | 0.22* (0.74) |
| Interaction of area of residence and source and type of influence | ||||
| Suburban | ||||
| Mother, indirect, toward birth | na | na | -1.71 | 0.18** (0.31) |
| Mother indirect, toward abortion | na | na | 1.76 | 5.84** (0.31) |
| Rural and remote | ||||
| Mother, indirect, toward birth | na | na | -0.32 | 0.73 (0.30) |
| Mother indirect, toward abortion | na | na | -0.39 | 0.68 (0.51) |
| Inner urban | ||||
| Mother, indirect, toward birth | na | na | 1.35 | 3.84* (0.61) |
| Mother, indirect, toward abortion | na | na | -2.50 | 0.08** (0.85) |
| Constant | -1.784 | 0.128** | -1.167 | 0.254** |
| -2 Log likelihood (df) | 968.125 | (8) | 809.002 | (21) |
| Cox & Snell pseudo R2 | 0.12 | 0.21 | ||
| No. of cases | 1,324 | 1,310 | ||
| *p<.05. **p<.01. Notes: ref=reference group. Dependent variable coded as 1=abortion and 0=motherhood. | ||||
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© copyright 2001, The Alan Guttmacher Institute. |