The prevalence and determinants of unintended pregnancy among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in the primary health care at KAMC- Jeddah

Abstract

Background Unplanned or unintended pregnancy is one of the major health issues globally and regionally. It poses many health, psychological, and financial impacts on the individual and the health system. Some determinants can affect women's decision to become pregnant; tackling these determinants can give policymakers a better understanding of the current health issue and help them develop recommendations accordingly. The aim of this study is to identify the prevalence and determinants of unintended pregnancy in pregnant women visiting the antenatal clinic in the primary health care centers in the western region of Saudi Arabia from September 2022 to July 2023. Methods An analytic cross-sectional study was conducted in Jeddah from September 2022 to July 2023. A nonprobability convenient sampling method was used to recruit 346 pregnant women booked in the Primary Health Care antenatal clinics; the data were collected using the modified Arabic version of the London Measure of Unplanned Pregnancy (LMUP). The data from the questionnaire were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 22. Result The prevalence of unplanned pregnancy among the study population was 17.6%. There is a significant association between unplanned pregnancy and the duration between the last two pregnancies, having thoughts and actions to terminate the pregnancy, and meeting the contraceptive needs. Maternal age, level of education, andfamily income were not associated with the rate of unplanned pregnancy. Conclusion Unplanned pregnancy is prevalent in Western Saudi Arabia but is low compared to other parts of the world. Multiple risk factors can determine the risk of unplanned pregnancy, including women's education, family income, and meeting contraceptive needs. Public health uses these indicators to understand population fertility and women's health services and reduce the rate of unplanned pregnancies, a key objective for Saudi Arabia.