How Religious Beliefs, Behaviors and Identities Are Related to Early Pregnancy

Lisa D. Pearce, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Jeremy E. Uecker, Baylor University
Jennifer S. Barber, University of Michigan
Raquel Coutinho, Cedeplar, UFMG and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

This is a proposed paper in which we will examine how multiple dimensions of religiosity relate to early pregnancy. We will use data from a weekly journal-based study to investigate how religious affiliation, belief in God, biblical literalism, religious service attendance, prayer, and religious importance at baseline relate to subsequent pregnancy for a sample of 1,003 young women. First, we will test for overall relationships between religious characteristics and the risk of pregnancy using event-history analysis. Second, we will explore whether attitudes toward sex, pregnancy, birth control, and children explain any religious differentials in the risk of early pregnancy. Finally, we will examine whether religious characteristics and associated ideologies are linked to early pregnancy through pregnancy-related behaviors such as sexual behavior, contraceptive use, and prior pregnancy. Our findings will provide the most comprehensive evidence to date of how religious characteristics independently and interdependently relate to the risk of early pregnancy.