Open AccessFactors associated with induced abortion over time: secondary data analysis of five waves of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health
Author(s) -
Taft Angela J.,
Powell Rhonda L.,
Watson Lyndsey F.,
Lucke Jayne C.,
Mazza Danielle,
McNamee Kathleen
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.946
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1753-6405
pISSN - 1326-0200
DOI - 10.1111/1753-6405.12874
Subject(s) - abortion , medicine , demography , pregnancy , public health , harm , obstetrics , cohort study , longitudinal study , cohort , reproductive health , illicit drug , gynecology , population , psychiatry , drug , environmental health , psychology , social psychology , genetics , nursing , pathology , sociology , biology
Objective : A trend analysis of associations with induced abortion. Methods : Secondary analysis of the 1973/78 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women’s Health of women responding to two or more consecutive surveys out of five (N=9,042), using generalised estimating equations. Results : New abortions dropped from 7% to 2% at surveys 4 and 5. By survey 5, 16% of respondents reported abortions, only 2% of them new. Women aged in their twenties were more likely to terminate a pregnancy if they reported less‐effective contraceptives (aOR2.18 CI 1.65–2.89); increased risky drinking (aOR1.65 CI 1.14–2.38); illicit drugs ≤12 months (aOR3.09 CI 2.28–4.19); or recent partner violence (aOR2.42 CI 1.61–3.64). By their thirties, women were more likely to terminate if they reported violence (aOR2.16 CI 1.31–3.56) or illicit drugs <12 months (aOR2.69 CI 1.77–4.09). Women aspiring to be fully‐ (OR1.58 CI 1.37–1.83) or self‐employed (OR1.28 CI 1.04–1.57), with no children (OR1.41 CI 1.14–1.75) or further educated (OR 2.08 CI 1.68–2.57) were more likely to terminate than other women. Conclusions : Abortion remains strongly associated with factors affecting women’s control over reproductive health such as partner violence and illicit drug use. Implications for public health : Healthcare providers should inquire about partner violence and illicit drug use among women seeking abortion, support women experiencing harm and promote effective contraception.