Primary Submission Category: Reproductive health
Associations between nativity and contraceptive use among US-born women and immigrant women: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Comfort Z Olorunsaiye Hannah Degge
Presenting Author: Comfort Olorunsaiye*
Objectives: Research is limited on the contraceptive attitudes and practices of immigrants in the US. We examined associations between contraceptive attitudes and contraceptive method use among US-born women and immigrant women.
Methods: Data are from a cross-sectional survey of women living in the US (n=657) in September 2021. Eligibility criteria included self-identified women, non-pregnant, aged 18-44 years, and self-reported sexual intercourse with a male partner in past three months. The exposure was contraceptive attitude, measured using the 32-item Contraceptive Attitude Scale (favorable or less favorable attitudes). The outcome was contraceptive method: permanent/long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC), short-acting hormonal, barrier, emergency, other (rhythm, calendar, and withdrawal) methods, and none. Multivariable multinomial logistic regression, stratified by nativity (i.e., US-born or immigrant), adjusted for potential confounders, was used to assess the associations between the exposure and outcome.
Results: In preliminary results, among 561 non-pregnant and eligible women, 62% were born in the US; mean age was 29 years. Contraceptive attitude was favorable in 59% of women. In nativity-stratified, adjusted analysis, among US-born women, favorable contraceptive attitudes were associated with between 2.37 times higher odds (95% confidence interval (CI)= 1.10-5.15) of permanent/LARC method use and 4.71 times higher odds (95% CI= 1.37-16.17) of emergency contraception use, compared to nonuse. Among immigrant women favorable contraceptive attitudes were associated with between 3.73 times higher odds (95% CI=1.13-12.31) of permanent methods/LARC to 22.57 times higher odds (95% CI=4.94-31.17) of short-acting hormonal methods, compared to nonuse.
Conclusion: Reproductive health programs and policies should consider the contraceptive attitudes and nativity in contraceptive counseling and services.