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The link between couples' pregnancy intentions and behavior: does it matter who is asked?
Maureen R Waller1, Marianne P Bitler
1Department of Policy Analysis and Management, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA. mrw37@cornell.edu
Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health
|December 11, 2008
Summary
Considering abortion impacts prenatal care and paternal support. When parents consider abortion, unmarried mothers delay early prenatal care, and fathers offer less financial or in-kind support during pregnancy.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Sociology
- Maternal and Child Health
Background:
- Previous research links pregnancy intentions to behaviors and infant outcomes, but often relies solely on maternal reports.
- Most studies examine only maternal behaviors, neglecting the role of paternal intentions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if parents considering abortion at pregnancy discovery is associated with maternal behaviors and infant birth weight.
- To explore associations between each parent's pregnancy intention and pregnancy-related behaviors or infant outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized baseline data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (1998-2000).
- Employed multivariate probit or least squares regressions for 737 married and 2,366 unmarried couples.
- Examined parental consideration of abortion and its association with prenatal care initiation, first-trimester care, and paternal support.
Main Results:
- Unmarried mothers considering abortion were less likely to initiate early prenatal care.
- Unmarried fathers considering abortion showed reduced probabilities of providing financial or in-kind support.
- First-trimester care was 12% lower when abortion was considered; paternal support was 6-14% lower.
Conclusions:
- Future research should include both male and female perspectives on pregnancy intentions.
- Understanding men's intentions can inform strategies for promoting male involvement in family planning, prenatal care, and parenting.
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