Concordance and Discordance in Reports of Relationship Context, Relationship Quality, and Contraceptive Use in Young Adult Relationships

Elizabeth Wildsmith, Child Trends
Nicole R. Steward-Streng, Child Trends
Kristen Peterson, Child Trends

In this paper, we measure couples’ concordance and discordance in reports describing their relationships (dating, cohabiting, and marital) and link this to measures of current contraceptive use. To do this, we use data from the third wave of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) couples sample. This sample includes data collected from partners of original Add Health respondents for approximately 500 dating couples, 500 cohabiting couples, and 500 married couples. Using these data, we conduct bivariate and multivariate analyses to examine whether concordance/discordance in structural (e.g., race, education, and age) and emotional (e.g., relationship quality, emotional intimacy) aspects of couples relationships are associated with female reports of contraceptive use. We additionally explore whether these associations vary by relationship type. This work will provide a better understanding about how relationship dynamics, as reported by both partners, influence contraceptive use.