Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 18, 2025
14:43
A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting
Published on: January 12, 2018
12.0K
Health Insurance Coverage and Unplanned Births in Rotterdam, the Netherlands: A Natural Experiment in the Generation
Clair A Enthoven1,2,3, Jeremy A Labrecque4, Nicole Lucassen2
1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health
|June 21, 2025
Summary
Dutch social health insurance changes in 2004 led to a potential increase in unplanned births among adults, particularly after a six-month lag. Further research is needed to confirm these findings on contraception coverage and unplanned pregnancies.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Economics
- Reproductive Health
Background:
- In 2004, Dutch social health insurance removed coverage for contraception for individuals aged 21 and older.
- This policy change impacted access to and utilization of contraceptive methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of removing social health insurance coverage for contraception on unplanned births.
- To analyze the association between health insurance policy changes and pregnancy outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the population-based Generation R Study (N=2516) in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
- Employed logistic regression models with a pre-post policy variable and interaction terms to assess changes over time.
- Adjusted for demographic and socioeconomic factors including age, migration background, education, income, and financial difficulties.
Main Results:
- The removal of contraception coverage showed a non-significant increase in the odds of unplanned births (OR=1.18).
- Excluding participants with a last menstruation in early 2004 revealed a significant increase in unplanned births (OR=2.69) after a six-month lag.
- This suggests a potential time-dependent effect of the policy change.
Conclusions:
- Tentative evidence suggests that the removal of contraception coverage from social health insurance may be linked to a small increase in unplanned births, with a notable time lag.
- The study's findings, based on a cohort of pregnant individuals, warrant cautious interpretation.
- Further research is recommended to establish a definitive link between health insurance coverage for contraception and unplanned pregnancies.
Related Concept Videos
01:52Regression Toward the Mean
6.5K
Regression toward the mean (“RTM”) is a phenomenon in which extremely high or low values—for example, and individual’s blood pressure at a particular moment—appear closer to a group’s average upon remeasuring. Although this statistical peculiarity is the result of random error and chance, it has been problematic across various medical, scientific, financial and psychological applications. In particular, RTM, if not taken into account, can interfere when...
6.5K
01:13Randomized Experiments
7.9K
The randomization process involves assigning study participants randomly to experimental or control groups based on their probability of being equally assigned. Randomization is meant to eliminate selection bias and balance known and unknown confounding factors so that the control group is similar to the treatment group as much as possible. A computer program and a random number generator can be used to assign participants to groups in a way that minimizes bias.
Simple randomization
Simple...
Simple randomization
Simple...
7.9K
01:11Testing a Claim about Mean: Known Population SD
2.8K
A complete procedure of testing the hypothesis about a population mean is explained here.
Estimating a population mean requires the samples to be distributed normally. The data should be collected from the randomly selected samples having no sampling bias. The sample size needed to be higher than 30, and most importantly, the population standard deviation should be already known.
In most realistic situations, the population standard deviation is often unknown, but in rare circumstances, when it...
Estimating a population mean requires the samples to be distributed normally. The data should be collected from the randomly selected samples having no sampling bias. The sample size needed to be higher than 30, and most importantly, the population standard deviation should be already known.
In most realistic situations, the population standard deviation is often unknown, but in rare circumstances, when it...
2.8K
01:12What is an Experiment?
15.1K
An experiment is a planned activity carried out under controlled conditions. The purpose of an experiment is to investigate the relationship between two variables. When one variable causes change in another, we call the first variable the explanatory or independent variable. The affected variable is called the response or dependent variable. In a randomized experiment, the researcher manipulates values of the explanatory variable and measures the resulting changes in the response variable. The...
15.1K
01:08Data Collection by Observations
12.9K
Data collection refers to a systematic way of obtaining, observing, measuring, and analyzing accurate information. Observational studies are one of the most widely used methods of data collection. It involves collecting data by observing the behavior and physical characteristics of a sample without making any modifications to the sample.
An astronomer viewing the motion and brightness of stars in the sky and recording the data is an example of observational data collection. A botanist recording...
An astronomer viewing the motion and brightness of stars in the sky and recording the data is an example of observational data collection. A botanist recording...
12.9K
01:22Birth Control Methods
3.1K
Vasectomy is a surgical form of male sterilization that involves severing and sealing the vasa deferentia, preventing sperm from mixing with semen during ejaculation. Because a vasectomy does not impact the testes' ability to produce testosterone, hormone levels, libido, and sexual function generally remain unchanged. While vasectomy is highly effective in preventing pregnancy, with a success rate near 99.85%, rare cases of recanalization (spontaneous reconnection) can occur. Although...
3.1K