Adolescent Pregnancy Desire and Pregnancy Incidence

Abstract Background Research has suggested the importance of pregnancy desire in explaining pregnancy risk behavior among adolescent females. Much of the literature, however, uses cross-sectional study designs to examine this relationship. Because bias may strongly influence these results, more prospective studies are needed to confirm the relationship between pregnancy desire and pregnancy incidence over time. Methods Nonpregnant adolescents aged 14- to 19 years ( n = 208) completed baseline interviews and interviews every 6 months thereafter for 18 months. Logistic regression was used to examine demographic and psychosocial correlates of pregnancy desire. Cox regression analysis was used to determine whether pregnancy desire predicted pregnancy incidence over time after controlling for potential confounders. Results Twenty-four percent of participants either desired pregnancy or were ambivalent toward pregnancy in the next year. Pregnancy desire was associated with older age, relationship duration of