Factors associated with young adults' pregnancy likelihood

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Contraception Research
• Public Health

Background:

• High rates of unplanned pregnancy persist among young adults (18-29 years) in the U.S.
• Adolescent pregnancy rates have declined, but young adult rates remain a concern.
• This study focuses on sexually experienced young adults not actively trying to conceive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors associated with the perceived likelihood of pregnancy in young adults.
• To understand the perceived likelihood of pregnancy among sexually experienced young adults using contraceptives.
• To inform the development of targeted pregnancy prevention strategies.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of 660 young adults (18-29 years) from the National Survey of Reproductive and Contraceptive Knowledge.
• Utilized logistic regression and classification tree analyses.
• Examined perceived likelihood of pregnancy in the next year.

Main Results:

• 32% of young adults perceived at least some likelihood of pregnancy within the next year.
• Key predictors included: low perceived importance of pregnancy avoidance (OR 5.21), contraceptive dissatisfaction (OR 3.93), frequent religious service attendance (OR 3.0), being uninsured (OR 2.63), and likelihood of unprotected sex (OR 1.77).
• These factors highlight specific subgroups at higher risk.

Conclusions:

• Findings can guide future research on pregnancy prevention.
• Results support the development of tailored interventions for sexually experienced young adults.
• Understanding perceived pregnancy likelihood is crucial for effective reproductive health strategies.