Recipients of PSC Small Grant Awards

Interest in the impact of unintended pregnancy on maternal, infant, and child outcomes has increased. However, pregnancy intention is complex, and individual-level psychological factors partly reflect socially patterned circumstances that may not be captured in most studies. It is important to understand the conceptualization and measurement of pregnancy intention and whether current measures of pregnancy intention are adequate across diverse populations. I will conduct a qualitative study among women who vary in age, race/ethnic identification, and socioeconomic status. The primary aim of this study is to better understand the relationship between early educational advantage in youth, pregnancy planning perspectives, behaviors, and outcomes in adult life, and current measurements of pregnancy planning status that categorize pregnancies as unintended or intended. The proposed study builds on previous studies that find social and cultural context to be critical in assessing the conceptualization and measurement of pregnancy intention.