What Do Healthy Women Know about the Consequences of Delayed Childbearing?

Figures & data

Table 1. Demographic characteristics of the study sample

Characteristic	n (%)
Race
African American	143 (47.7)
Caucasian	101 (33.7)
Hispanic	32 (10.7)
Asian	14 (4.7)
Other	10 (3.3)
Relationship status
Married/life partner	112 (37.3)
Living with significant other	52 (17.3)
In a relationship, not living together	59 (19.7)
Single	77 (25.7)
Prior history of medical problems
None	171 (57.0)
One or more	129 (43.0)
History of gynecologic problems	56 (18.7)
Education completed
Grades 1–11	15 (5.0)
Grade 12 or general equivalency diploma	46 (12.0)
College 1–3 years	111 (37.0)
College graduate	138 (46.0)
Primary source of fertility and pregnancy information
Internet	77 (25.7)
Television	39 (13.0)
Magazines	22 (7.3)
Newspaper	9 (3.0)
My doctor	96 (32.0)
Family or friends	57 (19.0)
REALM score
Mean	33.3 ± 3.9
Range	35–66

Table 2. Knowledge questions, correct answer, and percentage of participants answering correctly

Question	True or false	Percentage correct
After age 35, miscarriage is less common.	False	88.6
After age 35, women are healthier during pregnancy because they are more mature.	False	85.6
After age 35, it is harder to get pregnant.	True	78.5
After age 35, cesarean section is more common.	True	63.9
After age 35, stillbirths / fetal deaths are less common.	False	89.3
After age 35, the risk of genetic problems in the baby is higher.	True	87.0
After age 35, women have more medical problems during pregnancy.	True	84.2
After infertility treatment, miscarriage rates are higher.	True	65.6
After infertility treatment, women have fewer problems like diabetes and high blood pressure.	False	87.2
After infertility treatment, cesarean section is more common.	True	63.4
After infertility treatment, stillbirths/fetal deaths are more common.	True	45.6
After infertility treatment, there are more twins and triplets.	True	93.4
After infertility treatment, the risk of genetic problems in the baby is higher.	True	54.8

Figure 1 Distribution of scores for advanced maternal age (AMA), assisted reproductive technologies (ART), and total knowledge score (TKS).

Figure 2 Participants' estimates of probability of spontaneous pregnancy at different ages (M ± 1 SD). (Color figure available online.)

Figure 3 Participants' estimates of probability of pregnancy after ART at different ages (M ± 1 SD). ART = assisted reproductive technologies. (Color figure available online.)

Table 3. Factors associated with TKS in univariate analyses (analysis of variance or linear regression)

	TKS (M ± SD)	p
Race		<.001
Caucasian	10.3 (1.9)
African American	9.4 (2.1)
Latino	9.8 (2.0)
Asian	11.4 (1.4)
Other/declined	10.0 (2.4)
Years of education completed		<.001
Grades 1–8	8.0 (2.8)
Grades 9–11	7.6 (2.1)
Grade 12/general equivalency diploma	9.4 (2.3)
Some college	9.7 (2.0)
College graduate	10.4 (1.8)
Regular Internet access		.001
No	8.3 (1.8)
Yes	10.0 (2.1)
Work outside the home for pay		.001
No	9.3 (2.0)
Yes	10.2 (2.1)
Public insurance		.003
No	10.3 (2.0)
Yes	9.5 (2.1)
Religion		.008
Catholicism	10.3 (1.9)
Other Christian religion	9.5 (2.0)
Judaism	11.0 (0.8)
Islam	11.6 (1.6)
Hinduism	13.0 (n/c, n = 1)
Other	9.5 (2.7)
None	10.1 (2.2)
Previous pregnancy		<.001
No	10.7 (1.8)
Yes	9.3 (2.1)
Prior treatment for infertility		.03
No	8.9 (1.8)
Yes	11.4 (2.3)
REALM health literacy score		<.001
0–60 (limited and marginal)	8.8 (2.3)
61–66 (adequate)	10.1 (2.0)
Numeracy score	r ^2 = 0.1	<.001
Age	r ^2 = .02	.03