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PubMed2025

The effects of haptonomy and virtual reality, anxiety, prenatal attachment and acceptance of pregnancy in unplanned pregnancy.

AIM: Unplanned pregnancies are an important public health problem that negatively affects the health of women and babies. This study aimed to determine the effects of haptonomy and virtual reality on anxiety, prenatal attachment and acceptance of pregnancy in unplanned pregnancies. Haptonomy, a touch-based bonding technique, and virtual reality, an immersive fetal visualisation tool, were used as interventions. METHODS: The sample of this randomised controlled study consisted of 217 pregnant women (haptonomy: 73, virtual reality: 72 and control: 72) who applied to the Obstetrics and Gynaecology outpatient clinics of a public hospital in eastern Turkey between July 2020 and April 2021. For both experimental groups, four interviews were conducted with the pregnant women between the 24thand32nd gestational weeks at intervals of 7-10 days. Data were collected on pregnancy-related anxiety, prenatal attachment and pregnancy acceptance. Group differences were analysed using appropriate statistical comparisons. RESULTS: Pregnancy-related anxiety was lower, and acceptance of pregnancy was higher in the experimental groups compared to the control group (p < .001). Prenatal attachment level was higher in the haptonomy and virtual reality groups compared to the control group (p < .001). Notably, prenatal attachment scores were significantly higher in the haptonomy group compared to the virtual reality group (p < .001). CONCLUSION: In unplanned pregnancies, imagining the baby through haptonomy and imagining the baby through virtual reality are techniques that reduce the level of anxiety related to pregnancy and increase the level of prenatal attachment and acceptance of pregnancy. Especially haptonomy showed a higher effect on prenatal attachment.

Humans↗

PubMed2001

Chlamydial infection and unplanned pregnancy in women with ready access to health care.

OBJECTIVE: To apply urine-based ligase chain reaction for Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N. gonorrhoeae) detection and standard urine-based pregnancy testing for Navy-enlisted women, and to compare the prevalence and epidemiologic correlates of these adverse reproductive outcomes. METHODS: Participants were surveyed and urine was collected for pregnancy testing using standard laboratory methods and detection of C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae infection by ligase chain reaction. Self-administered surveys facilitated collection of demographics, sexual behavior, including contraceptive use, sexual partners, sexually transmitted disease, and pregnancy history. RESULTS: Among 299 of 314 participants, the prevalence of chlamydial infection was 4.7% and of pregnancy was 9.7%, with 48.3% of the pregnancies unplanned. Chlamydia trachomatis infection was univariately associated with having a new sex partner within the last 6 months, more sexual partners, single marital status, condom use, drinking until passing out or vomiting in the past 30 days (alcohol misuse), and current pregnancy. Unplanned pregnancy was univariately associated with young age, single marital status, inconsistent condom use, having a new sex partner within the last 6 months, and more recent sexual partners. Among the pregnant women, four (13.8%) were infected with C. trachomatis. CONCLUSION: The high rates of chlamydial infection and unplanned pregnancy found in this population of employed young women with ready access to health care and health education underscore the challenge of enhancing reproductive health via compliance with effective contraceptive and sexually transmitted disease prevention methods. This is a challenge that remains unmet.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Profile of Mood States and parental attitudes in motherhood: comparing women with planned and unplanned pregnancies.

BACKGROUND: Despite the availability of various contraceptive options, in some Western countries most pregnancies are unplanned. The objective of this longitudinal study was to assess the influence of planned and unplanned pregnancy on women's psychological well-being and on maternal attitude toward parenting in the first years after giving birth. METHODS: A sample of 119 primiparous women (88 planned and 31 unplanned pregnancies) with normal pregnancy, uncomplicated vaginal delivery, and a healthy living baby completed the Profile of Mood States (POMS) instrument in the ninth month of pregnancy, and at 1, 6, and 12 months after birth, and the Parental Attitude Research Instrument (PARI) 2 years after the birth. The POMS evaluates mood disturbance and the PARI assesses maternal attitudes toward parenthood in general. RESULTS: Women with unplanned pregnancies demonstrated a significantly more disturbed mood, both in pregnancy and in the first year after the birth. However, at approximately 2 years after childbirth there was no difference between the two groups of women in their rejection of the maternal role, and repressive and punitive maternal attitudes. CONCLUSIONS: In primiparas of middle socioeconomic levels, unplanned pregnancy is a risk factor for moderate mood disturbances rather than for an inadequate parental educational role. The study findings demonstrate the need to prevent unplanned pregnancies, and to offer immediate health assistance when particular conditions arise.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Factors affecting decision making of low-income young women with unplanned pregnancies in Bangkok, Thailand.

Unplanned pregnancy is one of the most difficult life experiences for young women. Women are often confused and seek help and support. When the problem occurs, a woman has three choices: parenting the baby, planning for adoption, or terminating the pregnancy. Choosing one of these three options is often difficult. This study aimed to identify the factors (variables) influencing women's decision making when choosing the options available to them. The study was conducted in five shelters and low-income communities in the Bangkok area. Data were collected for five months, November 2003 to March 2004. Young women, age 13-24, who experienced an unplanned pregnancy at least once, or currently experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, were recruited into the study. One hundred and twenty volunteer cases were recruited. Discriminant analysis was used to determine the factors that affecting the choices of young women with unplanned pregnancies. There were 6 potential influencing variables, in three broad categories of factors that influenced their choices. In this study, the influencing factors from the personal history variables were, age of the most recent unplanned pregnancy. The individual psychosocial variables were: attitude towards unplanned pregnancy, attitude towards contraception, and making a decision without consultation. The relationship variables were: relationship with partner, and consulting partner when having a problem. The results from discriminant analysis yielded 68.3% predictive accuracy. This result was satisfactory compared with a 33% chance of accuracy (classified as chance alone would yield a 33% accuracy). Knowing the influencing factors for the choices of young women with unplanned pregnancies allows us to understand the women's decisions and their utilization of services with some degree of confidence. The program managers or implementers should do as much as possible to support the decision making process in these young women in order to provide better information and services to reduce the impact, both physical and mental, of the selected choice.

Abortion, Induced↗

PubMed1996

Factors related to planned and unplanned pregnancies.

BACKGROUND: Given the efficacy of most contraceptive options, it is of concern that most pregnancies in the United States are unplanned. Besides reducing the woman's and family's preparedness for parenting, unplanned pregnancies are at higher risk for inadequate prenatal care, perinatal morbidity, and significant postnatal problems. Little is known about the factors responsible for the high rates of unplanned pregnancy. METHODS: One hundred ten pregnant women were surveyed to examine factors relating contraception to unplanned pregnancy. RESULTS: Sixty-five percent of pregnancies were unplanned. There was a statistically significant association between having unplanned pregnancies and being single or divorced. Women who had planned their pregnancies tended to be more satisfied with contraceptives. In sexual encounters, women with unplanned pregnancies were more likely to use no contraception or to practice "withdrawal" or use condoms rather than hormonal contraception; to be influenced by their partner regarding birth control use; and to forget to use contraception. CONCLUSIONS: All women of childbearing age who are sexually active can benefit from planning pregnancies. Counseling that accesses a woman's expectations regarding birth control, followed by a careful explanation of the side effects of a contraception choice, may reduce the rate of unplanned pregnancy. Counselling the male partner or sexually active men in contraceptive options may be equally important. Understanding factors that result in satisfaction with contraception may reduce unplanned pregnancies.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1984

The role of alcohol in unplanned pregnancy.

About 25% of all pregnancies are unplanned. While age, marital status, social class and contraceptive practice have all been considered, little attention has been paid to alcohol as a possible aetiological factor. The present study based on a questionnaire was devised to ascertain the role of alcohol in conception. One hundred and sixteen pregnant women participated and these were attending the ante-natal clinic for the first time. In only 2 cases was alcohol thought to be a likely factor in conception although only a few had never consumed alcohol. A further study on 100 clients attending the regional day care abortion unit revealed that less than one tenth felt that alcohol was a factor in the conception. Unplanned pregnancies may result from alcohol consumption in less than 10% of cases, lack of motivation to use some form of contraception would appear to play a more prominent part.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

[Unplanned pregnancy in Portugal].

This study was to determine the prevalence of unplanned pregnancy in a national sample of Portuguese puerperae and to define a risk profile for women with unplanned pregnancy. We also evaluated the independent effect of unplanned pregnancy in prenatal care utilisation and in the prevalence of preterm birth, low birth weight, and small for gestational age birth. Data was collected through a national survey proposed to the 50 major public Portuguese hospitals and answers were obtained from 41 hospitals, resulting in a sample of 1582 deliveries. Participants were classified as having a planned or unplanned pregnancy and were compared according to socio-demographic, behavioural, clinical, obstetric, and anthropometric characteristics. The prevalence of unplanned pregnancy was 39.4%. In the unplanned pregnancy group, single women aged less than 19 years and more than 34 years, those with one or more previous pregnancies, with 25% or less of the expected education for their age, and with the National Health Service as the source of were significantly more frequent. These characteristics, except the health provision, were significant and independently associated with an increased risk of unplanned pregnancy. Women with unplanned pregnancy were more likely to be unaware of prenatal care system, to have no prenatal care, late or inadequate prenatal care. Unplanned pregnancy was significantly associated with the risk of inadequate prenatal care (Odds ratio (OR) = 2.5; 95% Confidence interval (CI): 1.7-3.0), after adjusting for the effect of the confounding variables. Planning pregnancy was not significantly related with the prevalence of low birth weight or small for gestational age birth. However there was a significant relationship between unplanned pregnancy and preterm birth (Adjusted OR = 1.7; 95% CI:1.0-2.9). This study showed a high prevalence of unplanned pregnancy and that it was related with an under utilisation of prenatal care and with an independently increased risk of preterm birth, a major issue in perinatal health.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Unplanned pregnancy among active duty servicewomen, U.S. Air Force, 2001.

Unplanned pregnancy is a major public health problem in the United States. Although the U.S. Air Force has the highest proportion of active duty women of any of the U.S. military services, there are no published data on the occurrence of unplanned pregnancy among active duty Air Force (ADAF) women. Civilian female interviewers conducted telephone interviews with a random sample of 2,348 ADAF women during early 2002, using questions that were closely based on the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth. During 2001, approximately 12% of ADAF women had one or more pregnancies. By National Survey of Family Growth criteria, approximately 54% of these pregnancies were unplanned. Thus, approximately 7% of ADAF women had one or more unplanned pregnancies during 2001. Roughly one-half of unplanned pregnancies represented contraceptive nonuse and the other half represented contraceptive failure or misuse. Unplanned pregnancy is a serious and frequently occurring problem among ADAF women, with many opportunities for prevention.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Stress and coping in fathers of newborns: comparisons of planned versus unplanned pregnancy.

The purpose of this survey was to identify stresses and coping styles in fathers of newborns, and to explore if these vary according to pregnancy planning. Data from 69 subjects were collected using the Ireton Personal Inventory and the Jalowiec Coping Scale. The most common and least often sources of stress or worry were reported. Fathers' predominant mode of coping was problem oriented. Compared to fathers with planned pregnancies, fathers with unplanned pregnancies were found to be significantly more stressed about numerous issues as well as feeling powerless in adapting to the arrival of a new infant. Implications for practice and research are explored.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2006

Circumstances of pregnancy: low income women in Georgia describe the difference between planned and unplanned pregnancies.

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND: The United States has a higher rate of unintended pregnancies than many other developed countries despite the availability of effective contraception. Using Azjen's Theory of Planned Behavior and Luker's Theory of Contraceptive Risk Taking this qualitative study explores the reasons for the high rate of unintended pregnancy among low income women in Georgia. METHODS: Six focus groups (N=39) were conducted at county health department clinics. Women were recruited at the clinics to participate in a discussion of Pregnancy and Motherhood. All English or Spanish speaking women between the ages of 18 and 49 were eligible for participation. RESULTS: Three dimensions of pregnancy planning emerged-the decision to have a child, taking specific behaviors to increase the likelihood of conception, and making plans to care for a child. Planned pregnancies may occur when a couple or a woman decides that they are ready to have a child, but also occur in less stable situations that pose risks for the family and the child. Unplanned pregnancies may be welcomed or be unwanted depending on the circumstances. Women perceive advantages and disadvantages to planned and unplanned pregnancies. DISCUSSION: There are major differences between the definition and values of planned and unplanned pregnancies promoted by public health practitioners and those of the women in our study. This suggests the need for research on the circumstances in which pregnancies occur, as well as targeted interventions and policies that help women and men define and achieve the circumstances in which they would like to bear and rear children.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1986

Unplanned pregnancies in the United States.

Unplanned pregnancies constitute an epidemic in the United States. Over 3 million unplanned pregnancies occur, and over 1.5 million induced abortions are performed each year. Women of minority races and those with less than 12 years of education are at high risk of having unwanted children. Fear of complications (not the complications themselves) is the most powerful deterrent to women's use of contraception. Much of this fear is due to bad press. Recent good news about contraception, such as protection against ovarian and endometrial cancer, protection against ectopic pregnancy, and absence of teratogenic effects, has not received appropriate media coverage. For healthy women younger than 35 years, failure to use fertility control is more dangerous than use of any method.

Abortion, Induced↗

PubMed2006

Unplanned pregnancy: does past experience influence the use of a contraceptive method?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether women between the ages of 14 and 25 years with a past unplanned pregnancy were more likely to use a contraceptive method compared with women without a history of unplanned pregnancy. METHODS: We analyzed baseline data of 424 nonpregnant women between the ages of 14 and 25 years enrolled in a randomized trial to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancy (Project PROTECT). Women at high risk for sexually transmitted diseases or unplanned pregnancy were included. Participants completed a demographic, substance use, and reproductive health questionnaire. We compared women with and without a history of unplanned pregnancy using bivariate analysis and log binomial regression. RESULTS: The prevalence of past unplanned pregnancy in this sample was 43%. Women reporting an unplanned pregnancy were older, and had less education, and were more likely to be nonwhite race or ethnicity. History of an unplanned pregnancy was not associated with usage of a contraceptive method (relative risk 1.01, 95% confidence interval 0.87-1.16) in bivariate analysis or when potential confounders were accounted for in the analysis (adjusted relative risk 1.10, 95% confidence interval 0.95-1.28). CONCLUSION: Several factors were associated with both unplanned pregnancy and overall contraceptive method use in this population. However, a past unplanned pregnancy was not associated with overall contraceptive method usage. Future studies are necessary to investigate the complex relationship between unplanned pregnancy and contraceptive method use. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II-2.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

A survey of contraceptive use and unplanned pregnancy in Perth, Western Australia.

Contraceptive use and unplanned pregnancy were studied in a stratified cluster sample of 1,511 couples with women aged 16 to 44 years resident in metropolitan Perth in 1988. Twenty-one couples were excluded from analysis owing to missing data. The proportion of couples using contraception was 76.8 per cent (1,144 of 1,490), and all but three of the remaining couples gave a reason for nonuse. Among users, surgical sterilisation made up 42.3 per cent (484 of 1,144) of all methods, with a slight predominance of tubal ligation over vasectomy. Oral contraceptives accounted for just over half of nonsurgical methods. Comparisons with a Victorian survey performed in 1978 suggested that surgical methods and condom use may have increased, whereas use of oral contraceptives and intrauterine devices may have fallen. Unplanned pregnancies conceived during the 12 months before the interview affected 3.4 per cent (51 of 1,490) of respondents. The incidence of unplanned pregnancy was four times higher in couples with inconsistent usage patterns of contraception.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

[Unplanned pregnancies in a developed society--a study on a maternity ward in Berlin].

OBJECTIVE: Unplanned pregnancies are still common in developed societies. Although the medical-technical methods are mainly in use for family planning, other methods - not provided by the medical care system - have an important impact on the occurrence of unplanned pregnancies. Moreover the frequency of their use is not accurately recorded in usual study-protocols. The spread of methods based on the knowledge of physiologic infertility in woman's cycle (further: fertility awareness) and their relation to unplanned pregnancies is to be investigated. METHODS: A survey by way of self-administered questionnaire was conducted between September 1997 and March 1998 on women in a maternity ward in a hospital in Berlin (former East-Berlin, n = 220). The use of family planning methods (with a special focus on fertility awareness) and the planning state of pregnancies were recorded. RESULTS: 33 % of delivered pregnancies were unplanned. In the last year before conception occurred the part of the use of fertility awareness grew from 12 % to 30 % and correspondingly 25 % to 32 % of unplanned pregnancies were connected with these methods. CONCLUSIONS: The blanking-out of fertility awareness in the framework of medical care system leads to a constellation where a considerable part of unplanned pregnancies occurs beyond its range. The adequate solution for this problem should be an incorporation of fertility awareness into the mainstream of family planning.

Abortion, Induced↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Unplanned pregnancy as a major determinant in inadequate use of prenatal care.

BACKGROUND: Previous reports have stressed the importance of social class and education in prenatal care use. Unplanned pregnancy as a determinant of prenatal care use has been insufficiently studied. The objective of this report was to assess whether unplanned pregnancy is an independent predictor of inadequate use of prenatal care. METHODS: A 5% sample of women delivering at a hospital (409 women in the study population) was selected. Data on pregnancy were obtained by personal interview and from clinical charts. Prenatal care was considered inadequate according to the Kessner index. Relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated. Stepwise logistic regression analysis was applied to select the independent predictors of inadequate prenatal care use. RESULTS: Prenatal care use was inadequate among 16.4% of the women. Pregnancy was unplanned among 42.8% of the women. Twenty-two percent of women with an unplanned pregnancy used prenatal care inadequately, while 12% of those with planned pregnancies used prenatal care inadequately (RR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.2-2.9). In crude analysis, inadequate prenatal care use was also related to lower social class, lower education level, no employment outside the home, and multiparity. After adjustment was made for other predictors that were included in a stepwise logistic regression model (maternal education, social class, maternal occupation, parity, and pregnancy-induced hypertension), unplanned pregnancy was a significant risk factor for inadequate use of prenatal care (odds ratio = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.2-3.7) and it was an independent predictor for a delayed first prenatal care visit and for a reduced number of visits. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that unplanned pregnancy is a major determinant for inadequate use of prenatal care.

Adult↗

PubMed1982

Unplanned pregnancies in a midwestern community.

Despite widespread birth control availability and increasing emphasis on sex education, a large proportion of childbearing continues to be unplanned. Using an anonymous questionnaire, unplanned pregnancies were studied in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Of 1,002 women who completed questionnaires, 56 percent had had one or more unplanned pregnancies, and 44 percent of all pregnancies were found to be unplanned. This study confirms the findings of other studies which have shown a similar proportion of unplanned pregnancies. More unplanned pregnancies occur in the younger, lower socioeconomic population. Women generally consider their lives unchanged or improved because of these unplanned births. However, unhealthy aspects of some unplanned pregnancies include self-blame and negative feelings toward both the father and baby. Furthermore, a considerable number of young women lack adequate birth control knowledge, and they desire more family planning information from their physicians.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Conceptualisation, development, and evaluation of a measure of unplanned pregnancy.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To develop a measure of unplanned pregnancy that is valid, reliable, and appropriate in the context of contemporary demographic trends and social mores and can be used in a variety of situations, including the production of population prevalence estimates. DESIGN: A two stage study design: qualitative (inductive) methods to delineate the construct of pregnancy planning, and quantitative/psychometric methods to establish the means of measurement. SETTING: Eight health service providers (comprising 14 clinics, including antenatal, abortion, and one general practitioner) across London, Edinburgh, Hertfordshire, Salisbury, and Southampton in the UK. PARTICIPANTS: Samples comprised a mixture of pregnant (continuing pregnancy and opting for abortion) and recently pregnant (post-abortion and postnatal) women. At the qualitative stage, 47 women took part in depth interviews (20 of whom were re-interviewed after the birth of their baby). Items were pre-tested with 26 women, and two psychometric field tests were carried out with, respectively, 390 and 651 women. MAIN RESULTS: A six item measure of unplanned pregnancy was produced. Psychometric testing demonstrated the measure's high reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92; test-retest reliability = 0.97) and high face, content, and construct validity. Women's positions in relation to pregnancy planning are represented by the range of scores (0-12). CONCLUSIONS: A psychometric measure of unplanned pregnancy, the development of which was informed by lay views, is now available. The measure is suitable for use with any pregnancy regardless of outcome (that is, birth, abortion, miscarriage) and is highly acceptable to women.

Abortion, Induced↗

PubMed2006

Exploring the link between substance abuse and abortion: the roles of unconventionality and unplanned pregnancy.

CONTEXT: Several studies have found a relationship between abortion and prior substance use, suggesting that a reduction in substance use might help decrease abortion rates. However, such a conclusion requires a greater understanding of the processes linking abortion and prior substance use. METHOD: Path analysis of longitudinal data from 1,224 women was used to simultaneously test two pathways from adolescent substance use to abortion by age 29, one mediated by higher rates of unplanned pregnancy and the other independent of unplanned pregnancy rates. The model was then expanded to examine how these pathways change when unconventional attitudes and behaviors (such as rebelliousness and low religiosity) are taken into consideration. RESULTS: In the analysis that did not control for unconventionality, women who reported smoking cigarettes or using marijuana or hard drugs at age 18 had an increased likelihood of subsequent unplanned pregnancy and, as a result, higher rates of abortion. In addition, women who had used marijuana had an increased likelihood of abortion independent of unplanned pregnancy rates. In the final model, unconventionality strongly predicted both abortion and unplanned pregnancy. Moreover, it explained the associations between the use of hard drugs or marijuana and abortion that were due to higher unplanned pregnancy rates. CONCLUSIONS: Unconventionality mediates certain associations between substance use and abortion, perhaps because unconventional women are more likely both to use substances and to engage in behaviors that increase their risk of unplanned pregnancy. Hence, it seems unlikely that reducing substance use will result in substantially fewer abortions.

Abortion, Legal↗