Pregnancy intentionality in relation to non-planning impulsivity.
Half of US pregnancies are unintended. Understanding risk factors is important for reducing unintended pregnancy rates.



We examined a novel risk factor for unintended pregnancies, impulsivity. We hypothesized that non-planning impulsivity, but not motor or attentional impulsivity, would be related to pregnancy intention.



Pregnant women (N = 116) completed self-report measures during their second or third trimester. Impulsivity was measured using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-15); subscales measured motor, attentional and non-planning impulsivity (subscale range: 5-20). On each subscale, high impulsivity was indicated by a score of ≥11. Pregnancy intention was assessed by asking women whether they were trying to become pregnant at the time of conception (yes or no). Crude and multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models estimated the cross-sectional association between impulsivity and unplanned pregnancy.



Thirty-four percent of women reported that their current pregnancy was unplanned, and 32% had high non-planning impulsivity. Fifty-one percent of women with high non-planning impulsivity reported an unplanned pregnancy versus 25% of women with low impulsivity. Women with high non-planning impulsivity had 3.53 times the odds of unplanned pregnancy compared to women with low non-planning impulsivity (adjusted OR =3.53, 95% CI: 1.23-10.14). Neither motor (adjusted OR =0.55, 95% CI: 0.10-2.90) nor attentional (adjusted OR =0.84, 95% CI: 0.25-2.84) impulsivity were related to pregnancy intentionality.



High non-planning impulsivity may be a risk factor for unplanned pregnancy. Further research should explore whether increasing the use of long-acting reversible contraceptives or integrating if-then planning into contraceptive counseling among women with higher non-planning impulsivity can lower unplanned pregnancy rates.
a Division of Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases and Vulnerable Populations, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences , University of Massachusetts Medical School , Worcester , MA , USA.|b Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences , George Washington University , Washington , DC , USA.
Prachi
P
Godiwala
c Department of Preventive Medicine , Rush University Medical Center , Chicago , IL , USA.
Bradley M
BM
Appelhans
d Division of Research, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology , University of Massachusetts Medical School , Worcester , MA , USA.|e Department of Pediatrics , University of Massachusetts Medical School , Worcester , MA , USA.
Tiffany A
TA
Moore Simas
a Division of Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases and Vulnerable Populations, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences , University of Massachusetts Medical School , Worcester , MA , USA.
Rui S
RS
Xiao
a Division of Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases and Vulnerable Populations, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences , University of Massachusetts Medical School , Worcester , MA , USA.|f Worcester Polytechnic Institute , Worcester , MA , USA.
Kathryn E
KE
Liziewski
g Division of Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine , University of Massachusetts Medical School , Worcester , MA , USA.
Sherry L
SL
Pagoto
a Division of Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases and Vulnerable Populations, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences , University of Massachusetts Medical School , Worcester , MA , USA.|d Division of Research, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology , University of Massachusetts Medical School , Worcester , MA , USA.
Molly E
ME
Waring
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D010551:Personality / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D049168:Pregnancy, Unplanned / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
Impulsivity; long-active reversible contraceptives; pregnancy intention