Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health | |
The Extent of Pregnancy Mistiming and Its Association |
TABLE 1. Number (in 000s) and percentage distribution of mistimed pregnancies ending in live births, by the extent of mistiming, according to maternal characteristics | |||||||||
Characteristic | N | Extent of mistiming (no. of mos. early) | |||||||
1-6 | 7-12 | 13-24 | 25-36 | 37-48 | 49-60 | >60 | Total | ||
All | 4,120 | 8.5 | 21.4 | 24.7 | 15.1 | 6.6 | 10.5 | 13.2 | 100.0 |
Age at birth | |||||||||
<20 | 1,207 | 2.8 | 6.2 | 17.6 | 17.4 | 10.6 | 17.5 | 27.8 | 100.0 |
20-24 | 1,567 | 5.8 | 21.1 | 30.9 | 15.4 | 6.6 | 10.7 | 9.5 | 100.0 |
25-29 | 748 | 15.6 | 32.6 | 25.7 | 13.3 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 100.0 |
30-44 | 598 | 18.6 | 38.8 | 21.4 | 11.9 | 0.3 | 3.7 | 5.3 | 100.0 |
Marital status at birth | |||||||||
Never-married | 1,849 | 3.2 | 9.2 | 22.6 | 18.2 | 9.6 | 15.1 | 21.9 | 100.0 |
Married | 2,032 | 13.5 | 32.9 | 25.2 | 12.4 | 4.0 | 5.8 | 6.2 | 100.0 |
Formerly married | 239 | 7.9 | 17.6 | 36.3 | 13.3 | 4.8 | 14.5 | 5.6 | 100.0 |
Parity | |||||||||
1 | 2,099 | 7.8 | 13.5 | 20.8 | 15.7 | 9.5 | 13.0 | 19.7 | 100.0 |
2 | 1,140 | 8.9 | 26.6 | 29.2 | 17.8 | 3.0 | 8.0 | 6.5 | 100.0 |
>=3 | 881 | 10.0 | 33.3 | 28.3 | 10.2 | 4.0 | 7.8 | 6.4 | 100.0 |
Poverty level at interview | |||||||||
0-149% | 1,274 | 6.4 | 17.4 | 31.1 | 17.3 | 7.3 | 11.7 | 8.8 | 100.0 |
150-299% | 1,079 | 9.5 | 33.7 | 23.8 | 13.9 | 2.5 | 7.0 | 9.6 | 100.0 |
>=300% | 740 | 19.4 | 30.4 | 27.6 | 10.5 | 2.5 | 3.9 | 5.7 | 100.0 |
Education at interview | |||||||||
<high school diploma/GED | 558 | 9.5 | 28.3 | 24.9 | 17.0 | 5.5 | 6.1 | 8.7 | 100.0 |
High school diploma/GED | 1,317 | 7.9 | 20.8 | 30.4 | 17.1 | 5.7 | 10.7 | 7.4 | 100.0 |
Some college | 735 | 8.1 | 28.2 | 30.5 | 10.2 | 3.7 | 8.6 | 10.7 | 100.0 |
>=college | 481 | 22.9 | 35.5 | 19.2 | 11.0 | 1.4 | 3.1 | 6.9 | 100.0 |
Race | |||||||||
Black | 861 | 3.4 | 10.8 | 25.4 | 17.8 | 8.1 | 15.2 | 19.2 | 100.0 |
White | 2,987 | 10.0 | 24.7 | 24.7 | 13.9 | 6.5 | 9.5 | 10.7 | 100.0 |
Other | 272 | 9.1 | 18.3 | 22.4 | 19.2 | 2.8 | 6.7 | 21.5 | 100.0 |
Notes: For poverty level and education, data are shown only for women aged 22-44 at the time of interview. Ns are weighted to reflect national averages. |
TABLE 2. Results of multivariate analysis indicating mean number of months (and standard error) of mistiming, by maternal characteristics | |
Characteristic | Mean mos. |
Age** | |
<20 | 46.4 (2.4) |
20-24 | 31.2 (1.4) |
25-29 | 24.7 (1.8), |
30-44 | 25.3 (2.1),§ |
Marital status** | |
Never-married | 38.8 (1.7) |
Married | 35.3 (3.0) |
Formerly married | 28.8 (1.4) |
Race* | |
Black | 38.2 (2.4)§§ |
White | 32.0 (1.1) |
Other | 37.4 (3.5) |
*Overall p<.05. ** Overall p<.0001. Significantly different from <20 at p<.0001. Significantly different from 20-24 at p<.001. §Significantly different from 20-24 at p<.05. Significantly different from formerly married at p<.0001. Significantly different from formerly married at p<.05. §§Significantly different from white at p<.05. Note: Analysis also included parity, poverty level and education. |
TABLE 3. Percentage distribution of pregnancies ending in live births, by intendedness, and percentage distribution within each category of intendedness, by selected maternal characteristics, maternal behaviors and pregnancy outcomes | ||||
Variable | Intended | Moderately mistimed | Seriously mistimed | Unwanted |
All | 69.0 | 11.5 | 9.6 | 9.1 |
CHARACTERISTIC | ||||
Age at birth | ||||
<20 | 5.9,,§ | 14.4 | 47.0§ | 14.0 |
>20 | 94.1 | 85.6 | 53.0 | 86.0 |
Marital status at birth | ||||
Never-married | 13.9,,§ | 29.0 | 63.8§ | 38.0 |
Ever-married | 86.1 | 71.0 | 36.2 | 62.0 |
Parity | ||||
1 | 40.6,§ | 39.6,§ | 65.5§ | 18.4 |
>1 | 59.4 | 60.4 | 34.5 | 81.6 |
Poverty level at interview | ||||
<150% | 28.4,§ | 34.7,§ | 52.6 | 56.7 |
>=150% | 71.6 | 65.3 | 47.4 | 43.3 |
Education at interview | ||||
<high school/GED | 52.5,§ | 56.3§ | 67.9 | 74.5 |
>high school | 47.5 | 43.7 | 32.1 | 25.5 |
Race | ||||
Black | 10.4,§, | 15.4,§ | 27.3 | 31.0 |
Nonblack | 89.6 | 84.6 | 72.7 | 69.1 |
BEHAVIOR | ||||
Prenatal care initiated (weeks) | ||||
<8 | 72.9,§, | 63.0 | 51.3 | 57.6 |
>8 | 27.1 | 37.0 | 48.7 | 42.4 |
Breastfed | ||||
Yes | 60.8,§ | 57.5§, | 42.4 | 39.1 |
No | 39.2 | 42.5 | 57.6 | 60.9 |
OUTCOMES | ||||
Birth weight (g) | ||||
<2,500 | 5.1 | 6.6 | 8.0 | 6.0 |
>=2,500 | 94.9 | 93.5 | 92.1 | 94.0 |
Gestational age at birth (weeks) | ||||
<37 | 7.7 | 10.4 | 13.7 | 11.0 |
>=37 | 92.3 | 89.7 | 86.4 | 89.0 |
Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
Significantly different from moderately mistimed at p<.0001. Significantly different from seriously mistimed at p<.0001. §Significantly different from unwanted at p<.0001. Significantly different from moderately mistimed at p=.001. Significantly different from seriously mistimed at p<.001. Notes: Moderately mistimed pregnancies are those mistimed by 24 or fewer months, and seriously mistimed pregnancies are those mistimed by more than 24 months. The percentage distribution of all births does not add to 100 because women who responded "don't know" were not included. For poverty level and education, data are shown only for women aged 22-44 at the time of interview. |
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© copyright 2002, The Alan Guttmacher Institute. |