Abstract
According to the most recent estimates from 2006, forty-nine percent of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended (Finer & Zolna, 2011). Contraceptives can greatly reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy, especially when used consistently and properly (CDC, 2012). Predicting contraceptive use and nonuse behaviors can help policymakers, community clinics, and other health care providers target the family planning needs of populations most at risk of unintended pregnancy. Research regarding health care access suggests that having a usual source of health care has a positive effect on health outcomes. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the relationship between having a usual source of health care and contraceptive use among women at risk of unintended pregnancy using logistic regression analysis. I also examine the interacting effect of health insurance status. Data for this analysis originated from the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), specifically the Female Respondent File; however, after modifications, only data from Year 3 and Year 4 of the survey (July 2008-June 2010) was used. The NSFG is a nationwide in-person interview survey designed and administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Controlling for other factors, results from the logistic regression analysis found that among women at risk of unintended pregnancy, those who had a usual source of health care were 28.1% more likely to use contraceptives compared to those who did not have a usual source of health care. However, the interaction of health insurance status with having a usual source of health care was not a significant predictor of contraceptive use in my analysis.