title: The use of effective contraception among young Hispanic women: the role of acculturation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Culture may play an important role in contraceptive preference among young Hispanic women. We examined whether acculturation predicted the use of different contraceptives, grouped by level of efficacy in preventing pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  1017 sexually active Hispanic women between the ages of 16 and 24 (mean age 20.69 ± 2.42 years) responded to a self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women low in acculturation (OR 1.79, CI 1.06-3.02) and bicultural (OR 2.66, CI 1.52-4.64) were more likely than women high in acculturation to have used no method of contraception than long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). Bicultural women were more likely to have used condoms than LARC (OR 2.51, CI 1.40-4.49) compared to women high in acculturation. Finally, women in low in acculturation (OR 1.98, CI 1.11-3.50) and bicultural (OR 1.88, CI 1.01-3.51) were more likely to have used cyclic hormonal contraception than LARC compared to women high in acculturation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Educational efforts should focus on young Hispanic women who are bicultural and low in acculturation in order to increase their use of more effective contraceptive methods and reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies among this population.
authors: Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Women's Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA. amroncancio@gmail.com
authors: Angelica M
authors: AM
authors: Roncancio
authors: Kristy K
authors: KK
authors: Ward
authors: Abbey B
authors: AB
authors: Berenson
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D003268:Contraception Behavior; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D011247:Pregnancy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult