Sociologists have long been puzzled by whether attitudes inform behaviors or vice versa. Accurately assessing both possibilities requires panel data collected at relatively short intervals. In this study, I leverage intensive panel data from the Relationship Dynamics and Social Life Study to assess the case of young women's premarital sexual attitudes and behavior.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOf all pregnancies among young women in the United States, more than 60% are undesired, yet explanations for this phenomenon remain elusive. While research has investigated how pregnancy desires and intentions shape pregnancy-related behavior, only recently have scholars noted that desire for sex influences these same behaviors. Many young women simultaneously experience strong desires for sex alongside a strong desire to avoid pregnancy, but few studies have considered the extent to which young women adapt their reproductive behaviors in response to these potentially competing desires.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis research note presents a multisited analysis of migration and contraceptive use by standardizing and integrating a sample of African migrants in France from six West and Central African countries in the Trajectoires et Origines survey with a sample of women living in the same six African countries in the Demographic and Health Surveys. Descriptive analyses indicate that the contraceptive use of migrants more closely aligns with that of native French women than with that of women from origin countries. In particular, migrants report dramatically higher use of long-acting reversible contraceptives and short-acting hormonal methods and lower use of traditional methods than do women in the countries of origin.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To understand the specific ways in which champions lead efforts to obtain and sustain buy-in for immediate postpartum long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) programs.
Methods: We conducted a qualitative study with 60 semistructured interviews at 3 teaching hospitals in Texas with physicians, nurses, administrators and other staff who participated in the implementation of immediate postpartum LARC. Physicians self-identified as champions and identified other champion physicians and administrators.
Background: Mexican-origin women breastfeed at similar rates as white women in the United States, yet they usually breastfeed for less time. In our study, we seek to identify differences in Mexican-origin women's breastfeeding intentions, initiation, continuation, and supplementation across nativity and country-of-education groups.
Methods: The data are from a prospective cohort study of postpartum women ages 18 to 44 recruited from 8 Texas hospitals.
Purpose: To examine pregnancy rates and outcomes (births and abortions) among 15- to 19-year olds and 10- to 14-year olds in all countries for which recent information could be obtained and to examine trends since the mid-1990s.
Methods: Information was obtained from countries' vital statistics reports and the United Nations Statistics Division for most countries in this study. Alternate sources of information were used if needed and available.