Social support reduces the risk of unintended pregnancy in a low-income population.
Hartley Feld, Sheila Barnhart, Amanda T Wiggins and 1 others
PMID 33938034WHAT IT FOUND
Among low-income pregnant women, those who reported more practical help and social connection were less likely to say their pregnancy was unintended.
A positive urine drug screen was linked to unintended pregnancy. This was an observed link, not proof that support prevents pregnancy.
Key findings
0162% of the 309 Medicaid-eligible pregnant women in Kentucky reported their current pregnancy was unintended (191).
02In the adjusted model, each one-unit increase in overall social support (range 0-36) was associated with a 6% decrease in the odds of unintended pregnancy.
03A positive drug screen was associated with an almost 3-fold increase in the odds of unintended pregnancy.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study looked at data collected at one prenatal visit, so it cannot show that social support caused intended pregnancy or that increasing support would prevent unintended pregnancy. Pregnancy intention was measured with one yes/no question about trying to become pregnant, not a detailed measure of wanted, mistimed, or unwanted pregnancy. The analysis used secondary data from a parent study. Black women were a small subgroup, so race/ethnicity differences may be unstable. Intimate partner violence was self-reported and may be under-reported, especially among unemployed women in poverty. Drug screening was part of routine care at the first prenatal visit, so it reflects substances found in that sample, not a full substance-use history.
Declared interests
The supplied text does not include an author conflict-of-interest declaration. The parent study was funded by the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Innovations.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that social support or nurse-led programs reduce unintended pregnancy. This was a cross-sectional association among pregnant women, and the study did not test an intervention that changed support or pregnancy intention.