A Mixed Methods Study of Contraceptive Effectivene

Authors: Mary T Paterno Matthew J Hayat Jennifer Wenzel Jacquelyn C Campbell

Publish Date: 2016/03/22

Volume: 4, Issue: 2, Pages: 184-194

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Abstract

Unintended pregnancy is an important public health issue Rates of unintended pregnancy are disproportionately higher among women from racial and ethnic minority groups among whom rates of contraceptive use are lower Women’s multifaceted feelings about pregnancy and perceptions of their intimate relationships may influence contraceptive behaviorWe used mixed methods to examine women’s perceptions of pregnancy motherhood and contraceptives within the context of their intimate relationships A convenience sample of 130 primarily lowincome African American women ages 18–29 completed a crosssectional computerized survey 12 women provided indepth qualitative interview data Generalized linear mixed models were used to identify associations between study variables and contraceptive effectiveness Interview data were analyzed using qualitative descriptive methods and integrated with quantitative dataHigher positive pregnancy attitude odds ratio OR 078 95 confidence interval CI 063 098 lower contraceptive attitude OR 117 95 CI 101 136 and more than one recent sexual partner OR 003 95 CI 001 060 were associated with less effective contraceptive use Qualitative results included three themes You get pregnant that’s on you Motherhood means everything and Make sure youre stable Women’s qualitative reports primarily supported but occasionally diverged from quantitative findings reflecting discrepancies from their stated ideals personal goals and behaviorThe incongruities between women’s ideals and their actual contraceptive behavior demonstrate the complexity of making reproductive decisions based on existing life circumstances and challenges Health care providers should have broad understanding of women’s pregnancy goals in order to recommend the most appropriate contraceptive methods and preconception counselingResearch reported in this manuscript was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health T32MH20014 the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development T32HD064428 and the National Center for Research Resources TL1RR025007 of the National Institutes of Health It was also supported by the Ellen Levi Zamoiski Doctoral FellowshipAll procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards

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