Peer-reviewed article
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Teenage Pregnancy at Burji District, Southwestern Ethiopia; Mixed Approach Study.
Sifer SD, Abere AM, Worku B ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001A study in Ethiopia found that teenage pregnancy affects 21.8% of teenagers in Burji District, which is higher than the national average of 23.6%. The research identified key risk factors including living in rural areas, being married, not using contraceptives, and lack of discussion about reproductive health. Qualitative findings also highlighted poverty, limited education, cultural influences, and poor economic prospects as contributing causes.
Key points
- Teenage pregnancy prevalence in Burji District is 21.8%, contributing to Ethiopia's high national rate of 23.6%
- Rural residence increases the risk of teenage pregnancy 3.68 times compared to urban areas
- Married teenagers have 2.75 times higher risk of pregnancy than unmarried peers
- Not using contraceptives increases pregnancy risk 5.75 times
- Lack of discussion about reproductive health with families is associated with 2.60 times higher risk
Limitations
The study is cross-sectional and cannot establish causation, only association. The findings are specific to one district in southwestern Ethiopia and may not be generalizable to other regions.
Abstract
Objectives In Africa, the overall prevalence of adolescent pregnancy is 18.8%, with the sub-Saharan African region having a rate of 19.3%. The highest rates are found in East Africa at 21.5%, and in Ethiopia, the prevalence is even higher at 23.6%. Methods A community-based cross-sectional explanatory sequential mixed approach study was carried out among 458 teenagers in Burji District from 15 January to 15 February 2024. A multistage systematic sampling technique for quantitative and purposive sampling for qualitative data was used. The quantitative data were collected through face to face interview using a structured and pretested questionnaire by trained data collectors while qualitative data were gathered through in depth interviews and focus group discussions. Variables with p-value less than 0.05 were declared as statistically significant. Results The prevalence of teenage pregnancy was 21.8% (95% CI: 18.0, 26.0). Factors associated with teenage pregnancy included rural residence (AOR: 3.68; 95%CI: 1.29, 10.44), being married (AOR: 2.75; 95%CI: 1.06, 7.15), not using contraceptives (AOR: 5.75; 95%CI: 2.22, 14.86), and not discussing reproductive health issues (AOR: 2.60; 95%CI: 1.04, 6.76). In addition, the qualitative study identified lack of education and access to resources, social and relationship influences, cultural influences and economic and future outlook as a common cause of teenage pregnancy. Conclusions Consequently, there is a high prevalence of teenage pregnancy in the area. Furthermore, place of residence, marital status, contraceptive use, and discussions about reproductive health issues were identified as independent factors associated with teenage pregnancy.