Unplanned pregnancy among married women: an exploratory study in a rural area of Bengal

Authors

  • Manika Pal Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Kolkata, West Bengal, India http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6673-3464
  • Lina Bandyopadhyay Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
  • Aparajita Dasgupta Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20174484

Keywords:

Unplanned pregnancy, Currently-married women, Cross-sectional study, Rural area

Abstract

Background: Globally unplanned pregnancy has emerged as a major public health problem with its impact on demography and economy. Despite being the first country to initiate a nationwide family planning program, contraceptives access and utilization are low in India. As per a study conducted in 35 low- and middle-income countries, India contributed the largest number of undesired pregnancy. Our current study was aimed at determining the proportion of unplanned pregnancy and examining its predictors among currently married women aged 15-35 years, residing in a rural area.

Methods: A facility based, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted in a rural area of Bengal. 158 participants were selected by purposive sampling and face to face interviews were conducted using structured schedule ensuring confidentiality. Statistically data were summarized with descriptive statistics and adjusted with binary logistic regression analysis in SPSS (version 16).

Results: The proportion of unplanned pregnancy was found to be 28.5%. On multivariable logistic regression, it was observed that there was significant association between unplanned pregnancy and low SE status AOR (CI) 2.523 (1.074-5.926), lack of women’s empowerment AOR (CI) 2.971 (1.198-7.367), husbands’ lower level of education AOR (CI) 2.673 (1.041-6.866), and no contraception or traditional method of contraception AOR (CI) 2.391 (1.104-5.180).

Conclusions: The study revealed alarmingly high proportion of unplanned pregnancy. In addition to the existing strategies of the national program, emphasis should be on IEC activities. All efforts should be made to educate women on hazards of unsafe abortion and unplanned pregnancy. 

 

References

Park K. Park’s Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine. 23rd ed. Jabalpur, India: M/s Banarsidas Bhanot publishers; 2015: 870-872.

Taneja DK. Health Policies and Programmes in India. 14th ed. Delhi, India: Doctors Publications (Regd); 2016: 129.

World Health Organization. Unsafe abortion: Global and regional estimates of the incidence of unsafe abortion and associated mortality in 2008, sixth ed., Geneva: WHO, 2011.

Barrett G, Smith SC, Wellings K. Conceptualisation, development and evaluation of a measure of unplanned pregnancy J Epidemiol Community Health. 2004;58:426-33.

Sebastian MP, Khan ME, Sebastian D. Unintended Pregnancy and Abortion in India with Focus on Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha. New Delhi, India: Population Council, 2013.

Santhya KG, Verma S. Induced Abortion: The Current Scenario in India. Regional Health Forum. 2004;8:2-14.

Barrick L, Koenig MA. Pregnancy Intention and Antenatal Care Use in Two Rural North Indian States. World Health Popul. 2008;10:21–37.

Sedgh G, Singh S, Hussain R. Intended and Unintended Pregnancies Worldwide in 2012 and Recent Trends. Stud Fam Plann. 2014;45:301–14.

Hall JA, Barrett G, Phiri T, Copas A, Malata A, Stephenson J. Prevalence and Determinants of Unintended Pregnancy in Mchinji District, Malawi; Using a Conceptual Hierarchy to Inform Analysis. Public Library Sci One. 2016;11(10):e0165621

Habib MA, Raynes-Greenow C, Nausheen S, Soofi SB, Sajid M, Bhutta ZA, Black K. Prevalence and determinants of unintended pregnancies amongst women attending antenatal clinics in Pakistan. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2017;17:156.

Wellings K, Jones KG, Mercer CH, Tanton C, Clifton S, Datta J, et al. The prevalence of unplanned pregnancy and associated factors in Britain: findings from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3). Lancet. 2013;382:1807-16.

Dixit P, Ram F, Dwivedi LK. Determinants of unwanted pregnancies in India using matched case control designs. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2012;12:84.

Downloads

Published

2017-10-25

How to Cite

Pal, M., Bandyopadhyay, L., & Dasgupta, A. (2017). Unplanned pregnancy among married women: an exploratory study in a rural area of Bengal. International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 4(11), 4101–4106. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20174484

Issue

Section

Original Research Articles