Table II. Characteristics of pregnant women, stratified by age.
| Variable | Women in emerging adulthood (18–25 years) n (%) 163 (54.7) | Older women (26–42 years) n (%) 135 (45.3) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| n (%) | n (%) | ||
| 163 (54.7) | 135 (45.3) | ||
| Lifetime trauma exposure | 34 (20.9) | 25 (18.5) | |
| Demographic characteristic | |||
| Ethnicity | p<0.001 | ||
| Black African | 39 (23.9) | 62 (45.9) | |
| Coloured | 124 (76.1) | 73 (54.1) | |
| Married/cohabitating | 67 (41.1) | 101 (74.8) | p<0.001 |
| Education | |||
| Not complete high school | 105 (64.4) | 94 (69.6) | |
| Complete high school | 58 (35.6) | 41 (30.4) | |
| Employed | 126 (77.3) | 78 (57.8) | p<0.001 |
| Sexual and reproductive health | |||
| First pregnancy | 99 (60.7) | 38 (28.1) | p<0.001 |
| Terminated pregnancy* | 20 (31.3) | 15 (15.3) | p=0.016 |
| Ever diagnosed with STI | 12 (7.4) | 11 (8.1) | |
| Any STI symptoms currently | 32 (19.6) | 24 (17.8) | |
| Relationship with baby's father | |||
| Quality | |||
| Excellent | 60 (36.8) | 56 (41.5) | |
| Good | 51 (31.3) | 49 (36.3) | |
| Less than good | 52 (31.9) | 30 (22.2) | |
| Difficulty resolving argument | 82 (50.3) | 65 (48.1) | |
| Father supportive of baby | 124 (76.5) | 115 (85.2) | p=0.06 |
| Substance use and mental health | |||
| Lifetime substance use | 81 (49.7) | 57 (42.2) | |
| Current substance use | 66 (40.5) | 32 (23.7) | p=0.002 |
| Awareness of substance abuse programmes | 43 (26.4) | 29 (21.5) | |
| CES-D (M, SD) | 11.6 (10.59) | 7.96 (10.11) | p=0.003 |
| K-10 (M, SD) | 17.5 (7.71) | 15.58 (8.42) | p=0.042 |
Note: STI=sexually transmitted infection; CES-D= Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale; K-10= Kessler psychological distress scale.
*
Miscarriage, abortion, and stillbirth.