title: Is pregnancy planning associated with background characteristics and pregnancy-planning behavior?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prevalence of planned pregnancies varies between countries but is often measured in a dichotomous manner. The aim of this study was to investigate to what level pregnant women had planned their pregnancies and whether pregnancy planning was associated with background characteristics and pregnancy-planning behavior.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study that utilized the baseline measurements from the Swedish Pregnancy Planning study. Pregnant women (n = 3390) recruited at antenatal clinics answered a questionnaire. Data were analyzed with multinomial logistic regression, Kruskal-Wallis H and chi-squared tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three of four pregnancies were very or fairly planned and 12% fairly or very unplanned. Of women with very unplanned pregnancies, 32% had considered an induced abortion. Women with planned pregnancies were more likely to have a higher level of education, higher household income, to be currently working (≥50%) and to have longer relationships than women with unplanned pregnancies. The level of pregnancy planning was associated with planning behavior, such as information-seeking and intake of folic acid, but without a reduction in alcohol consumption. One-third of all women took folic acid 1 month prior to conception, 17% used tobacco daily and 11% used alcohol weekly 3 months before conception.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A majority rated their pregnancy as very or fairly planned, with socio-economic factors as explanatory variables. The level of pregnancy planning should be queried routinely to enable individualized counseling, especially for women with unplanned pregnancies. Preconception recommendations need to be established and communicated to the public to increase health promoting planning behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2753-9140
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.|Center for Clinical Research, Uppsala University, County Council of Västmanland, Västmanland County Hospital, Västerås, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lana
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4188-598X
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Salih Joelsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2172-6527
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tydén
authors.affiliation: The National Center for Knowledge on Men's Violence against Women, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3786-7321
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berglund
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.|Department of Care Science, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4735-6162
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ekstrand
authors.affiliation: The Research Unit Women's and Children's Health, The Juliane Marie Center for Women, Children and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.|The Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Hanne
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7093-0719
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hegaard
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Clara
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8242-6862
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aarts
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Research, Uppsala University, County Council of Västmanland, Västmanland County Hospital, Västerås, Sweden.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3691-8326
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosenblad
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Margareta
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8050-621X
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Per
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7346-1674
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kristiansson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005193:Family Planning Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden
keywords: Planned pregnancy; folic acid; health behavior; preconception care; unplanned pregnancy