Prevalence of unintended pregnancy and its related factors in Arak 2007

Each year over 200 million pregnancies occurring in worldwide and approximately one third of these are unintended. The present study was conducted to assess the prevalence of unintended pregnancies and its related factors in Arak (Iran). This analytical cross- sectional study was carried out on 352 mothers who had 6-12 months neonatal. Data was collected by valid and reliable questionnaire and interview in the health centers of Arak city. The prevalence of unintended pregnancy was calculated and its related factors identified by fisher exact test, t-test, and Chi-square and logistic regression statistical tests. In this study, the prevalence of unintended pregnancy was 27.8%. Meanwhile 6.1% of these mothers had used interrupts coitus as a contraceptive. A significant relation was observed between unwanted pregnancy and age of parents, parity and husband education (P<0.05), but there was no significant association between unintended pregnancy and mother’s occupation and education (P>0.05). There was a reverse association between unintended pregnancy and prenatal care and exclusive breastfeeding as well. These results showed that extending of the education programs about contraceptive methods and disadvantages of unintended pregnancy especially for housewife and illiterate women is necessary in order to preventing unintended pregnancies its sequential outcomes