Predicting Contraceptive Efficacy: A Discriminant Analysis of Three Groups of Adolescent Women¹

Abstract

The relationship of knowledge and attitudes to adolescent contraceptive efficacy was investigated in a multivariate study, with demographic and sexual history variables covaried. Subjects were unmarried, sexually active 15‐ to 19‐year‐old women. Two studies were conducted: one using a large and representative sample and the second using a smaller, high socioeconomic status sample that is more typical of samples generally used in earlier research. Subjects were classified as effective, ineffective, or nonusers of contraception, based on both frequency of use and effectiveness of the method(s) they used. Two discriminant function analyses were performed to determine (a) whether knowledge and attitudes contributed to discrimination among the groups over and above discrimination attributable to demographic and sexual history variables, and (b) which variables distinguished ineffective users from both other groups. The results of both studies indicate that attitudes, particularly attitudes toward contraception, are strong predictors of patterns of contraceptive use. Ineffective users were distinguished from nonusers by their greater knowledge of contraception, and from both other groups by their greater sexual activity and more positive attitudes toward intercourse. The discussion focuses on the theoretical implications of the results, the usefulness of the effective/ineffective/nonuser categorization, and applications of these findings to design of interventions.

Gender-Specific Misperceptions of College Student Drinking Norms.

“…According to social comparison theory (Festinger, 1954) and social impact theory (Latane, 1981), socially proximal comparison groups are more relevant and have greater influence than more distal comparison targets. In addition, previous research has suggested that specific, relevant attitudes are better predictors of behavior (Kim & Hunter, 1993;Morrison, 1989) than attitudes toward a general concept (Ajzen, 1982;Ajzen & Fishbein, 1977). For example, perceptions of close friends' drinking norms have been demonstrated to be more precise, as well as more salient, to college students and have been shown to be a better predictor of alcohol consumption compared to perceptions of typical student drinking norms or perceptions of gendernonspecific drinking norms (Baer et al, 1991).…”

The Effects of Attitudes on Teenage Premarital Pregnancy and its Resolution

“…The sequence of choices, which may be explicit or implicit, active or passive, is: whether to initiate sexual activity; whether to continue it; whether to practice contraception and, if so, how diligently; and once pregnant, whether to abort, marry the father, place the child for adoption, or bear the child as an unmarried mother. Studies taking this approach include Cvetkovich and Grote (1980), Brazzell and Acock (1988), and Morrison (1989). Cvetkovich and…”

“…Other studies found liberated girls less likely to initiate sexual activity (Cvetkovich and Grote, 1980) and more likely to practice effective contraception (Morrison, 1989). These tendencies would reduce the chances of premarital pregnancy.…”

“…Robbins et al (1985) and Walters et al (1986) found no relationship between locus of control and premarital pregnancy. The one study of locus of control and contraceptive behavior, Morrison (1989), also found no relationship.…”

“…Adolescent girls identifying with "liberated" family and gender roles were less likely to initiate sexual activity (Cvetkovich and Grote, 1980), tended to be more effective contraceptors (Morrison, 1989), and were more likely to claim they would resolve a premarital pregnancy with abortion (Brazzell and Acock, 1988).12 Because these behaviors all reduce the likelihood of premarital childbearing, the extant evidence is unambiguous--liberated attitudes have tended to reduce premarital childbearing.…”