Psychosocial risk factors for pregnancy risk-taking in young women in emerging adulthood: Evidence from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health

Abstract

This study represents the first longitudinal investigation of distal psychosocial predictors of pregnancy risk-taking in young Australian women. Participants were from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Two mail-out surveys assessing sociodemographic, education/competence, psychosocial wellbeing, and aspiration/identity factors, were completed at ages 18 and 22 by 1647 young women in emerging adulthood, and a third survey assessing pregnancy risk-taking behaviour was completed by a subsample of 90 young women at age 24. Higher psychosocial distress at age 22 was a risk factor for pregnancy risk-taking at age 24 (β = 0.29 – 0.38). Post hoc analyses suggested that the strongest component of psychosocial distress when predicting pregnancy risk-taking was higher depressive symptoms (β = 0.44 – 0.68). Demographic, education, unemployment, and future aspirations factors at age 18 and 22 were unrelated to pregnancy risk-taking at age 24.