title: Characteristics of sexually active teenage girls who would be pleased with becoming pregnant.
abstract: To investigate factors associated with favorable pregnancy attitudes among teenage girls. Participants were sexually active teenage girls aged 15-18 years old (n = 965) who took part in the 2002 or 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). Multinomial multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the likelihood of being pleased with a teenage pregnancy. Sixteen percent of sexually active teenage girls (n = 164) would be pleased (11 % a little pleased, 5 % very pleased) if they became pregnant. In a multivariable model, participants who had not yet discussed sexual health topics (i.e., how to say no to sexual intercourse or birth control) or had only discussed birth control with a parent were more likely to be very pleased with a teenage pregnancy than participants who had discussed both topics with a parent. Prior pregnancy, racial/ethnic group status, older age, and having parents with a high school education or less also increased the odds of being pleased with a teenage pregnancy. Being pleased with a teenage pregnancy was correlated with a lack of discussion of sexual health topics with parents, prior pregnancy, and sociodemographic factors (having less educated parents, racial/ethnic group status). Pregnancy prevention efforts can be improved by acknowledging the structural and cultural factors that shape teenage pregnancy attitudes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8134, 660 South Euclid, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. rehgp@psychiatry.wustl.edu
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Cavazos-Rehg
authors.forename: Melissa J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Krauss
authors.forename: Edward L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Spitznagel
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schootman
authors.forename: Linda B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Cottler
authors.forename: Laura Jean
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Bierut
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors