CORRELATES OF ORAL-CONTRACEPTIVE USE IN 2 NEW-ENGLAND COMMUNITIES - 1981-1993

This study compared the sociodemographic and cardiovascular correlates of oral contraceptive users and nonusers between 1981 and 1993. We al so sought to determine changes in the prevalence of oral contraceptive use among older premenopausal women. Using data from six biennial cro ss-sectional household surveys in a population-based sample of two New England communities, 5239 women between ages 18 and 45 years were ide ntified. Women using oral contraceptives were 5 years younger and bett er educated than nonusers, and users more frequently reported a per ca pita income above the median for the survey population than nonusers. Users were more likely to report smoking and have a lower body mass in dex than nonusers. Little use of oral contraceptives was detected amon g women ages 40-45 years despite changes in FDA recommendations about their use and increasing evidence of their noncontraceptive benefits i n healthy older nonsmoking women.