TABLE 3.
Reproductive History for Mexican American Women Aged 15–44 Years, by Measures of Acculturation: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999–2004
| All Mexican American Womena | Generational Status |
Language Preference |
|||||||
| First (Ref) | Second | Pb | Third | Pb | Used More Spanish (Ref) | Used More English | Pb | ||
| Age at first menstrual period, % (95% CI)c | NA | NA | <.05 | ||||||
| < 12 y | 25.8 (22.8, 28.7) | 21.6 (17.7, 25.5) | 33.2 (25.5, 41.0) | 29.9 (22.9, 37.0) | 22.9 (18.6, 27.1) | 30.9 (26.1, 35.6) | |||
| 12–14 y | 64.4 (60.9, 67.9) | 67.7 (63.2, 72.3) | 55.5 (48.9, 62.2) | 62.6 (55.7, 69.5) | 66.9 (61.7, 72.0) | 59.8 (54.6, 65.0) | |||
| ≥ 15 y | 9.8 (7.6, 12.0) | 10.6 (7.9, 13.4) | 11.2 (3.3, 19.2)d | 7.4 (2.2, 12.6)d | 10.3 (7.7, 12.8) | 9.4 (5.2, 13.5) | |||
| Ever had sexual intercourse, % (95% CI) | 85.6 (83.3, 87.9) | 80.4 (77.4, 83.5) | 89.2 (85.3, 93.0) | <.001 | 93.2 (90.9, 95.6) | <.001 | 80.8 (77.6, 84.1) | 91.8 (90.0, 93.7) | <.001 |
| Age at first intercourse, mean y (95% CI) | 17.8 (17.5, 18.1) | 18.6 (18.3, 18.9) | 17.4 (16.5, 18.3) | <.05 | 16.4 (15.9, 16.9) | <.001 | 18.5 (18.2, 18.8) | 16.8 (16.3, 17.2) | <.001 |
| Number of lifetime male partners, mean (95% CI)ef | 4.5 (3.8, 5.1) | 2.7 (2.1, 3.3) | 4.4 (3.4, 5.5) | <.01 | 8.2 (5.9, 10.6) | <.001 | 2.7 (2.1, 3.3) | 7.1 (5.5, 8.6) | <.001 |
| Number of male partners in past 12 mo, mean (95% CI)ef | 1.3 (1.2, 1.4) | 1.1 (1.1, 1.2) | 1.4 (1.1, 1.6) | .059 | 1.5 (1.3, 1.7) | <.01 | 1.0 (1.1, 1.2) | 1.4 (1.3, 1.6) | <.001 |
| Number of pregnancies, % (95% CI)c | <.05 | .138 | <.05 | ||||||
| 0 | 24.5 (22.3, 26.7) | 19.7 (16.9, 22.5) | 34.3 (27.5, 41.0) | 24.8 (19.9, 29.7) | 21.4 (18.5, 24.3) | 27.4 (23.8, 31.0) | |||
| 1 | 14.0 (12.3, 15.7) | 16.3 (13.4, 19.3) | 7.0 (4.3, 9.7) | 17.1 (10.1, 24.0) | 14.1 (11.4, 16.9) | 15.3 (11.2, 19.5) | |||
| 2 | 18.2 (15.2, 21.1) | 18.9 (16.0, 21.9) | 21.6 (15.4, 27.7) | 16.1 (10.9, 21.3) | 19.8 (16.3, 23.3) | 15.4 (10.3, 20.5) | |||
| ≥ 3 | 43.3 (40.5, 46.2) | 45.1 (41.3, 48.8) | 37.2 (29.0, 45.3) | 42.1 (33.3, 50.9) | 44.7 (41.0, 48.3) | 41.8 (35.6, 48.1) | |||
| Currently pregnant, % (95% CI)c | 9.5 (7.9, 11.1) | 10.5 (8.2, 12.9) | 9.6 (4.2, 15.1) | .766 | 10.4 (5.5, 15.4) | .974 | 10.6 (8.2, 13.0) | 8.7 (5.6, 11.8) | .388 |
| Age at first live birth, mean y (95% CI)c | 20.2 (20.0, 20.5) | 20.5 (20.2, 20.7) | 20.1 (19.2, 21.0) | .343 | 19.7 (18.8, 20.5) | .057 | 20.3 (20.0, 20.6) | 20.1 (19.5, 20.8) | .537 |
| Breastfed child for at least 1 mo, % (95% CI)g | 68.0 (64.1, 72.0) | 76.3 (72.0, 80.6) | 57.7 (50.1, 65.3) | <.001 | 54.6 (42.2, 66.9) | <.001 | 75.5 (71.0, 79.9) | 56.2 (50.1, 62.2) | <.001 |
| Low-birthweight baby, % (95% CI)g | 9.1 (6.6, 11.7) | 7.3 (4.3, 10.4) | 9.5 (4.8, 14.3) | .416 | 13.6 (7.9, 19.2) | <.05 | 8.3 (5.0, 11.6) | 10.9 (6.6, 15.1) | .322 |
| Birth control pillsh | |||||||||
| Ever taken, % (95% CI) | 55.9 (51.9, 59.9) | 48.1 (42.8, 53.4) | 58.1 (48.1, 68.2) | .076 | 69.7 (62.5, 76.8) | <.001 | 47.9 (42.5, 53.3) | 66.9 (62.3, 71.5) | <.001 |
| Currently using, % (95% CI) | 11.0 (8.4, 13.5) | 8.6 (6.0, 11.2) | 16.4 (10.8, 22.0) | <.01 | 10.6 (5.2, 16.1) | .459 | 9.5 (6.6, 12.3) | 13.1 (9.2, 17.0) | <.05 |
| Age began use, mean y (95% CI) | 20.2 (19.8, 20.6) | 21.4 (20.9, 21.8) | 19.1 (18.1, 20.0) | <.001 | 18.6 (17.9, 19.3) | <.001 | 21.3 (20.8, 21.7) | 18.8 (18.3, 19.3) | <.001 |
| Number of mo used, mean (95% CI) | 37.5 (33.0, 41.9) | 30.5 (25.9, 35.0) | 54.2 (40.7, 67.7) | <.001 | 44.8 (32.9, 56.6) | <.05 | 32.1 (27.2, 37.0) | 46.4 (38.2, 54.6) | <.01 |
| Depo-Proverac | |||||||||
| Ever used, % (95% CI) | 19.1 (16.2, 21.9) | 21.0 (16.8, 25.1) | 12.3 (7.0, 17.6) | <.05 | 17.6 (11.7, 23.6) | .377 | 20.3 (16.2, 24.4) | 15.6 (11.2, 19.9) | .090 |
| Currently using, % (95% CI) | 4.5 (2.6, 6.4) | 5.2 (2.7, 7.6) | 2.9 (0.7, 5.2)h | .173 | 1.7 (0.7, 7.8)h | .617 | 4.6 (2.1, 7.1) | 4.6 (1.8, 7.4) | .979 |
Note. CI = confidence interval; NA = pairwise comparison not applicable. Respondents were both interviewed and examined; percentages were age-adjusted to the year 2000 standard US population by using age groups 15–19, 20–29, 30–39, and 40–44 years; missing data and refused or “don't know” responses were not included in the analyses. The statistical significance for the overall test of association between age at first menstrual period and generational status was P = .114. Sample sizes for generation categories were: first generation, n = 795; second generation, n = 464; and third generation, n = 386. Sample sizes for language preference categories were: respondent used more Spanish, n = 815; respondent used more English, n = 753.
Some Mexican American women did not meet the study group definitions and were included only in the All Mexican American Women column; therefore, counts in the Generational Status and Language Preference columns do not add to the number in the All Mexican American Women column.
Statistical test compared the given group to the referent group. The Satterthwaite adjusted F statistic was used for pairwise comparison of multilevel variables; the t test was used for other comparisons.
Includes only postmenarche females.
Estimate was considered unreliable because of a relative standard error > 30.
Includes only women aged 18–44 years (n = 1184); percentages were age-adjusted to the year 2000 standard US population by using age groups 18–19, 20–29, 30–39, and 40–44 years.
Includes only those who reported partners.
Includes only postmenarche females and those who had at least 1 live birth.
Includes only postmenarche females and those who reported taking birth control pills.