Teenage Pregnancy: Family and Social Characteristics and Risk Factors in Etinan, Sub-urban Area of Southern Nigeria.
Journal Title: International Journal of Medical Science and Innovative Research (IJMSIR) - Year 2018, Vol 3, Issue 12
Abstract
Background: Teenage pregnancy constitutes a menace and threat to well-being and all aspects of existence of both the pregnant teenager and her unborn fetus. Yet its prevalence seems not to be decreasing in most settings especially the least developed countries. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of teenage pregnancy among the ante-natal attendees of a secondary healthcare facility in Etinan, Southern Nigeria, identify the risk factors, describe the socio-demographic and family characteristics of the pregnant teenagers. Method: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study involving 161 pregnant women who attended the ante-natal clinic of General Hospital, Etinan, sub-urban area of Akwa Ibom State, Southern Nigeria, between April and August 2018, recruited through non-probability (consecutive) sampling. A pretested semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaire was used to obtain data on socio-demographic and family characteristics, and obstetric and gynaecological profile of the respondents. Results: Out of 161 pregnant women who attended the clinic during the study period, 73(45.34%) were teenagers (<20 years). Their ages ranged from 13-19 years with an average age of 15.73+ 1.73 years. Results obtained showed that 50.68% of the teenage mothers were younger teens (13-15 years), most of them, 69.86% and 63.01%, lived in rural areas and were in school respectively when the pregnancy occurred. Also 57.55% admitted to come from poor families while 57.38% complained that their fathers had no time for them. Most of the respondents, 84.93% and 82.19%, had menarche and coitarche before 13 years and 15 years respectively. Almost half of them, 49.31%, had friends who were pregnant before they too became pregnant while greater percentage of the pregnant teenagers, 79.45% and 61.64% had not used contraceptives and had not been taught sex education, respectively. Conclusion: The study has shown an unacceptably high prevalence of teenage pregnancy among the ante-natal attendees of General Hospital, Etinan. This portends a threat to the realization of full potentials of the affected teenagers and their babies. The need therefore to work on the identified modifiable risk factors including sex education, age at coitarche, access to contraceptives, neutralizing negative peer influence and improved socioeconomic factors as panacea for curbing this menace is recommended.
Authors and Affiliations
Dr. Victory Lyanam
Keywords
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