Exploring contraceptive pill taking among hispanic women in the united states

Abstract

Data from the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth have previously shown greater risk of inconsistent contraceptive pill use among Hispanic women. We used the same data to test a culturally based model of pill use among the subsample of Hispanic women. Hierarchical logit analyses revealed that primary use of Spanish, negative attitudes about women in the workplace, two or more recent sex partners, and recent pill adoption were factors that increased the odds of inconsistent use. Living alone or with non-kin was associated with more consistent use, as were showing preference for a stay-at-home model of motherhood, frequent church attendance, and frequent sexual intercourse. Our findings suggest that the strong effects of behavioral variables (e.g., duration of pill use, number of sex partners) are mediated by cultural indicators (e.g., primary use of Spanish, attitudes about sex roles). The extent to which programs address important cultural dimensions of health behaviors could enhance effectiveness.