Parent-Teen Relationships and Unintended Pregnancy in Early Adulthood

Minle Xu, University of Texas at Austin

Previous research addresses the association between parent-teen relationships and the risk of being pregnant mainly among adolescents. This study extends the literature by examining the effects of parent-teen relationships on unintended first pregnancy in early adulthood, a stage with relative higher rate of unintended pregnancy in the United States. Using data from both Wave I and Wave III of National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study investigates whether parent-teen relationships serve as protective factors against unintended first pregnancy in early adulthood. Multinomial regression analyses revealed that individuals closely connected to their mother during adolescence were more likely to report no pregnancy during early adulthood. However, mother-teen communication about sex was associated with higher odds of having both intended and unintended first pregnancy in early adulthood. No significant relationship was found between parental monitoring during adolescence and intention status of pregnancy in early adulthood.