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New research shows that women who live below the poverty level are more than four times likely to have an abortion than women above 300 percent of the poverty level.

The study was released by the Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good today. Alexia Kelly, executive director for the organization, presented the results to about 50 people who showed up for the Democrats for Life event this afternoon.

Three-fours of the women cited having a job, child care, or education as a factor for having an abortion, Kelly said.

The study of the U.S. 50 states from 1982 to 2000 finds that benefits for pregnant women such as employment, economic assistance to low-income families, quality child care and removal of state caps on the number of children eligible for economic assistance in low-income families has reduced abortions. However, permitting Medicaid payments for abortions increased the abortion rate.

Joseph Wright, a political science professor at Penn State University, and Michael Bailey, a American government professor at Georgetown University conducted the study.

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