Development and Psychometric Testing of the Attitude Toward Potential Pregnancy Scale

Paterno, Mary T.; Han, Hae Ra

doi:10.1111/1552-6909.12511

Cited by 12 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 42 publications

(67 reference statements)

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“…For some women, this assumption would not only misrepresent their childbearing intentions but also contradict their sincere desire to use a highly effective method of contraception. There have been several recent developments of validated scales designed to prospectively measure attitudes towards pregnancy and efforts to plan pregnancy (Morin et al, 2003), (Paterno & Han, 2014). In light of our conclusions, future research focused on the prospective measurement of pregnancy desires should further explore the dimensions of happiness separately from constructs used to measure intention.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A blessing I can't afford: Factors underlying the paradox of happiness about unintended pregnancy

Aiken

Dillaway

Mevs-Korff

2015

Social Science & Medicine

113

110

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An unresolved paradox in the measurement and interpretation of unintended pregnancy is that women frequently report feeling happy about pregnancies they also classify as unintended (i.e. they have incongruent intentions and feelings). This study explores the underlying reasons why women profess such happiness and how these relate to their motivations to avoid pregnancy. Between September 2013 and February 2014, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 27 women (8 white, 19 Latina) selected from a longitudinal study measuring prospective pregnancy intentions and feelings among 403 women in Austin, Texas. Women were selected for interview on the basis of wanting no more children and consistently professing either happiness (n=17) or unhappiness (n=10) at the prospect of pregnancy. Interviews were coded and analyzed following the principles of grounded theory. We found that it is possible for women to express happiness at the idea of pregnancy while simultaneously earnestly trying to prevent conception. Happiness at the idea of an unintended pregnancy was explained as the result of deep and heartfelt feelings about children taking precedence over practical considerations, the perception that the psychosocial stress resulting from another child would be low, and the ability to rationalize an unintended pregnancy as the result of fate or God’s plan. The major exception to the sincerity of professed happiness was that conveyed as a result of social pressure despite truly negative feelings, predominantly expressed by foreign-born Latina women. Overall, equating incongruence with ambivalence about avoiding conception may undermine the sincerity of women’s intentions and their desires for highly-effective contraception. At the same time, unintended pregnancies that are greeted with happiness may have different implications for maternal and child health outcomes compared to pregnancies that are greeted with unhappiness. Identifying which unintended pregnancies are most likely to result in adverse outcomes is a target for future research.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A blessing I can't afford: Factors underlying the paradox of happiness about unintended pregnancy

Aiken

Dillaway

Mevs-Korff

2015

Social Science & Medicine

113

110

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“…A 44‐item survey packet was created to collect data about current and past contraceptive use, contraceptive self‐efficacy, pregnancy attitudes, and reproductive autonomy (the power to control one's own reproduction). The packet included two previously validated surveys: The Attitude Toward Potential Pregnancy Scale (APPS) which captured pregnancy attitudes (Paterno & Han, 2014), and the Reproductive Autonomy Scale (RAS, Upadhyay et al., 2014) which measured reproductive power. A third survey developed for this study, the Demographic and Contraceptive Use Survey, elicited demographic and contraceptive use information.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This five-item scale used a visual analog scale with numerical ratings anchored at both ends to capture pregnancy attitudes that may influence contraception use (Paterno & Han, 2014). The odds of being a highly effective contraceptive user decreased 8% with each one point increase in the score (higher scores correlate with increasingly positive attitudes toward a potential pregnancy).…”

Section: Attitude Toward Potential Pregnancy Scale (Apps)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Contraception among women on probation and parole on the United States–Mexico border

Greenwald

Keele

Huttlinger

2021

Public Health Nursing

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Objective: Effective contraception prevents unintended pregnancy which disproportionately affects women in the criminal justice system. This study examined selected variables associated with contraceptive use by women on probation and parole living on the United States-Mexico border.Design: This quantitative correlational study examined individual and interpersonal variables-age, parity, ethnicity, prior contraception, self-efficacy, pregnancy attitudes, and reproductive autonomy-that may influence contraception among 52 women under community supervision.Measures: Variable were examined with bivariate, multivariate analyses, and hierarchical logistic regression. Data were collected from a demographic and contraceptive use survey, and validated scales measuring reproductive autonomy and pregnancy attitudes.Results: Contraceptive methods were used by 89% of the women; 65% used effective methods, but this decreased to 35% among those released within the past year.Reproductive autonomy was associated with effective contraceptive use. Prior contraception and contraceptive self-efficacy were significant, but wide confidence intervals suggested instability. The remaining variables were insignificant. Conclusion:No known studies have examined contraception use among women on probation and parole on the border. More women used some form of contraception than might be predicted. Collaborative efforts between correctional facilities and the community are needed to expand access to contraception.

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“…The Attitude Toward Potential Pregnancy Scale (APPS) [33] is a five-item instrument that asks the degree to which a woman wants to become pregnant, wants to avoid pregnancy, and how happy, worried, or upset she would be about a pregnancy. Higher scores correspond to more positive pregnancy attitude.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Reproductive Coercion was measured using nine questions with yes/no responses that assess pregnancy coercion and birth control sabotage in two subscales [28, 29], which we analyzed separately. Finally, we adapted the five questions from the APPS [33] to create the Perceived Partner Attitude Toward Potential Pregnancy Scale. This scale measured women’s perceptions of their partners’ positive and negative emotions toward potential pregnancy.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Mixed Methods Study of Contraceptive Effectiveness in a Relationship Context Among Young Adult, Primarily Low-Income African American Women

Paterno

Hayat

Campbell

2016

J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities

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Background Unintended pregnancy is an important public health issue. Rates of unintended pregnancy are disproportionately higher among women from racial and ethnic minority groups among whom rates of contraceptive use are lower. Women’s multifaceted feelings about pregnancy and perceptions of their intimate relationships may influence contraceptive behavior. Methods We used mixed methods to examine women’s perceptions of pregnancy, motherhood, and contraceptives within the context of their intimate relationships. A convenience sample of 130 primarily low-income African American women ages 18–29 completed a cross-sectional, computerized survey; 12 women provided in-depth qualitative interview data. Generalized linear mixed models were used to identify associations between study variables and contraceptive effectiveness. Interview data were analyzed using qualitative descriptive methods and integrated with quantitative data. Results Higher positive pregnancy attitude [odds ratio (OR) 0.78; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.63, 0.98], lower contraceptive attitude (OR 1.17; 95 % CI 1.01, 1.36), and more than one recent sexual partner (OR 0.03; 95 % CI <0.01, 0.60) were associated with less effective contraceptive use. Qualitative results included three themes: You get pregnant that’s on you; Motherhood means everything; and Make sure you’re stable. Women’s qualitative reports primarily supported but occasionally diverged from quantitative findings, reflecting discrepancies from their stated ideals, personal goals, and behavior. Conclusion The incongruities between women’s ideals and their actual contraceptive behavior demonstrate the complexity of making reproductive decisions based on existing life circumstances and challenges. Health care providers should have broad understanding of women’s pregnancy goals in order to recommend the most appropriate contraceptive methods and pre-conception counseling.

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Development and Psychometric Testing of the Attitude Toward Potential Pregnancy Scale

Cited by 12 publications

References 42 publications

A blessing I can't afford: Factors underlying the paradox of happiness about unintended pregnancy

A blessing I can't afford: Factors underlying the paradox of happiness about unintended pregnancy

Contraception among women on probation and parole on the United States–Mexico border

A Mixed Methods Study of Contraceptive Effectiveness in a Relationship Context Among Young Adult, Primarily Low-Income African American Women

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