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Social support reduces the risk of unintended pregnancy in a low‐income population
Author(s) -
Feld Hartley,
Barnhart Sheila,
Wiggins Amanda T.,
Ashford Kristin
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
public health nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.471
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1525-1446
pISSN - 0737-1209
DOI - 10.1111/phn.12920
Subject(s) - unintended pregnancy , pregnancy , medicine , medicaid , social support , odds ratio , public health , population , reproductive health , odds , unintended consequences , family planning , demography , environmental health , family medicine , psychology , nursing , logistic regression , health care , social psychology , genetics , political science , law , economic growth , pathology , sociology , research methodology , biology , economics
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.