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Defining and measuring unintended pregnancy: issues and concerns
1Maternal and Child Health Department, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.
Summary
Measuring unintended pregnancy is crucial for public health. Current national surveys lack comparable data due to inconsistent questions and definitions, hindering accurate assessment of pregnancy intendedness.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Public Health Surveillance
- Survey Methodology
Background:
- Current national surveys provide non-comparable data on unintended pregnancy.
- Inconsistent survey questions, inclusion criteria, and interview timing limit data comparability.
- Existing data often conflate 'unintendedness' with 'unwantedness' and fail to distinguish between mistimed and unintended pregnancies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the limitations in current measures of unintended pregnancy.
- To advocate for improved methodologies for assessing pregnancy intendedness.
- To inform future research and policy regarding reproductive health goals.
Main Methods:
- Review of past and current measures of unintended pregnancy.
- Analysis of limitations in national survey data.
- Proposal for reanalyzing existing datasets with specific inclusion criteria.
Main Results:
- Significant disparities exist in how unintended pregnancy is measured across surveys.
- Lack of a consistent definition and measurement scales impedes accurate assessment.
- Existing data may inaccurately represent rates of unintendedness versus unwantedness.
Conclusions:
- A consistent definition and validated measurement scales are necessary for accurately assessing unintended pregnancy.
- Reanalysis of existing data with refined criteria could improve comparability and trend analysis.
- Accurate measurement is foundational for addressing public health goals related to unintended pregnancy.