Despite growths in contraceptive prevalence rate and declines in total fertility rate, many women in Indonesia still experience unintended pregnancies. It is essential to identify the determinants of unintended pregnancy to facilitate policy makers and programme managers to design programmes and services especially for women who have the highest likelihood of
having unintended pregnancy. This study analysed factors that influenced ever married women in Indonesia to classify their pregnancy as mistimed or unwanted. This study used
bivariate tables and multivariate logistic regression to investigate the relationship between women’s pregnancy intention status and a number of socio-demographic variables (maternal
age, previous birth intervals, number of previous births/parity, level of education, place and region of residence, ever used of contraception, husband’s desire for family size, and economic status). Data for this study were obtained from the 2007 IDHS. Among women respondents of the 2007 IDHS, 15,127 had at least one birth during five years preceding the survey date. From these respondents, women whose pregnancies were mistimed or unwanted were identified. These women were asked the planning status of the most recent birth; whether the birth was mistimed, unwanted or was born according to plan. Of the 15,127 births, 19.9% were classified as unintended consisting of 11.9% mistimed and 8.0% unwanted. For mistimed childbearing, the most significant determinants are preceding birth interval, age of mother, educational attainment, and number of previous births or parity. For unwanted childbearing, the most significant determinants are number of previous births or parity, age of mother, preceding birth interval, and region of residence. Dealing with the issues of unintended childbearing is to target the interventions to its root causes: tackling the high prevalence of mistimed and unwanted childbearing among women with pregnancies which are closely spaced from the previous birth, women with high parity, women who disagree with their husband about their family size, poor women who can not obtain or access contraceptives, and older women who do not want any more children at all. Resolving the problems of unintended childbearing is to assure that women of reproductive age have access to family planning information and services, and to support to raise women’s status so that they would recognize their rights and they can regulate their fertility and thus they can properly space their pregnancies or limit their family size. More information is needed about family planning methods and its appropriate use. The role of quality of care in increasing women’s capability to attain their reproductive goal should be taken into consideration.