Premarital pregnancy and subsequent childbirth in Korea: Evidence from the Korean longitudinal survey of women and families

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between premarital pregnancy, which has more than tripled over the past two decades, and second and third childbirth. Though premarital pregnancy has been reported to increase the preterm birth and elevate the risk of low birth weight, systematic research on this phenomenon is still lacking. In order to overcome the limitations of previous research, the present study analyzed the time taken until the birth of the second and third children using the first through sixth wave of the Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families and the Cox regression analysis model. Results indicated that premarital pregnancy increased the hazard of second child birth by 13.3% compared to post-marital pregnancy. However, premarital pregnancy does not show a significant effect on the risk of birth of the third child. The trivial effect of premarital pregnancy on the hazard of birth of the third child might be related to that only women who have already undergone two successful pregnancies are at risk of having a third child. On the other hand, premarital pregnancy is more likely to be observed among women with low educational attainment and in young ages than among women with higher education and in older ages, and this may exacerbate social inequality over the long term. © 2018, Institute of Social Development and Policy Research, Seoul National University.