Most Pacific pregnancies not planned

Almost two-thirds of Pacific Island mothers in South Auckland did not plan their pregnancies, according to data collected by researchers from the Auckland University of Technology (AUT).

About 60 per cent of 1376 women interviewed after giving birth at Middlemore Hospital in 2000 said their pregnancies were unplanned.

The study's co-director, Associate Professor Janis Paterson, yesterday described the rate as "pretty high".

She said no official statistics for the general New Zealand population were available to allow comparisons to be made.

But the figure in the study did not surprise the Pacific Island members of the research group.

"There is previous writing by Pacific writers about cultural barriers towards use of contraception and the taboo over talking about sexuality and contraception," Professor Paterson said.

The study also found 70.8 per cent of the women and their partners did not practise birth control.

About 47 per cent of the women said they had not thought about it, and 30 per cent said weight gain linked with the pill was a concern for them.

Professor Paterson said factors associated with unplanned pregnancy or non-use of contraception included lack of post-school qualifications and a strong alignment with Pacific culture.

"It seems there may be a little bit of not wanting to rock the boat.

"Interestingly, when we asked those who did use contraception what sort was used, no one reported vasectomy. Although we didn't dig deeply into the issue, that response speaks volumes."

Professor Paterson said the study recommended a more targeted approach towards effective family planning for Pacific Islanders.

"It's not as if the effort has not been made, it's just a case of how to do it better. Given the sort of taboo or embarrassment that might be around those sorts of issues, there needs to be small groups of women in a pretty confidential, safe environment."

The data on contraception forms part of wider AUT research in the form of "The Pacific Island Family Study: First Years of Life".

The children whose mothers were interviewed are being followed from early infancy until they are eight.

Other issues that researchers are looking at include parenting measures, patterns of health and illness, transport, and financial and social stresses.

- NZPA