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Unintended pregnancy and prenatal behaviors among urban, black women in Baltimore, Maryland: the Baltimore preterm birth study.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Orr, ST; James, SA; Reiter, JP
Published in: Annals of epidemiology
July 2008

We explored associations between intendedness of pregnancy with maternal prenatal behaviors, including smoking, use of alcohol, use of illicit drugs, and late initiation of prenatal care.Pregnant black women ages 18 years or older (N = 913) were enrolled in the study at their first visit to prenatal clinics in Baltimore, Maryland, at which time data were obtained from the women about intendedness of pregnancy. Data on behavioral risks were abstracted from clinical records. Logistic regression was used to adjust analyses for maternal demographic characteristics.Women with unwanted pregnancies were significantly more likely than women with wanted or mistimed pregnancies, or who were unsure about intendedness, to smoke (odds ratio [OR], 2.0; 95% CI, 1.2-3.3), use alcohol (OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.1-3.9), and use illicit drugs (OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.0-2.9) during pregnancy, and to initiate prenatal care in the third trimester (OR, 5.7; 95% CI, 3.5-9.4).Unwanted pregnancy is associated with prenatal behaviors that increase the risk of poor pregnancy outcomes. The facilitation of wanted pregnancies and reduction of harmful maternal behaviors may result in improved pregnancy outcomes in the United States.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Annals of epidemiology

DOI

EISSN

1873-2585

ISSN

1047-2797

Publication Date

July 2008

Volume

18

Issue

7

Start / End Page

545 / 551

Related Subject Headings

  • Risk-Taking
  • Prospective Studies
  • Prenatal Care
  • Pregnancy, Unwanted
  • Pregnancy, Unplanned
  • Pregnancy
  • Maternal Behavior
  • Logistic Models
  • Humans
  • Health Behavior
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Orr, S. T., James, S. A., & Reiter, J. P. (2008). Unintended pregnancy and prenatal behaviors among urban, black women in Baltimore, Maryland: the Baltimore preterm birth study. Annals of Epidemiology, 18(7), 545–551. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2008.03.005
Orr, Suezanne T., Sherman A. James, and Jerome P. Reiter. “Unintended pregnancy and prenatal behaviors among urban, black women in Baltimore, Maryland: the Baltimore preterm birth study.Annals of Epidemiology 18, no. 7 (July 2008): 545–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2008.03.005.
Orr, Suezanne T., et al. “Unintended pregnancy and prenatal behaviors among urban, black women in Baltimore, Maryland: the Baltimore preterm birth study.Annals of Epidemiology, vol. 18, no. 7, July 2008, pp. 545–51. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2008.03.005.
Journal cover image

Published In

Annals of epidemiology

DOI

EISSN

1873-2585

ISSN

1047-2797

Publication Date

July 2008

Volume

18

Issue

7

Start / End Page

545 / 551

Related Subject Headings

  • Risk-Taking
  • Prospective Studies
  • Prenatal Care
  • Pregnancy, Unwanted
  • Pregnancy, Unplanned
  • Pregnancy
  • Maternal Behavior
  • Logistic Models
  • Humans
  • Health Behavior