Peer-reviewed article
Food insecurity among adolescent girls who are mothers (10-19 years) in sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review.
Akinwande SF, Akinwande KO, Islam T, Logie C ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This scoping review examined food insecurity among adolescent mothers aged 10-19 years in sub-Saharan Africa, where about one-third of the region's 160 million adolescent girls are expected to become mothers by 2030. The review identified 16 studies and found that food insecurity among adolescent mothers is driven by economic poverty, social stigma and caregiving responsibilities, and ecological factors like poor land quality. Adolescent mothers respond to food insecurity through economic activities, seeking social support, and sometimes engaging in high-risk behaviours. Food insecurity negatively affects their mental health and sexual and reproductive health outcomes, including depression and coerced sex.
Key points
- Nearly one-third of sub-Saharan Africa's projected 160 million adolescent girls by 2030 are expected to become mothers
- Drivers of food insecurity are economic (poverty), social (stigma, family size, caregiving), and ecological (infertile land)
- Coping strategies include economic-based activities, reliance on social support, and high-risk behaviours
- Food insecurity leads to adverse mental health outcomes including depression and suicide attempts
- Food insecurity is linked to coerced, age-disparate, and substance-influenced sexual activity
Limitations
This review synthesises existing literature rather than primary data, and the 16 included studies may not represent all available evidence or all sub-Saharan African contexts. The review identifies gaps in knowledge and calls for further research, indicating that current understanding of this issue remains incomplete.
Abstract
The population of adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is projected to reach approximately 160 million by 2030, with nearly one-third expected to transition into motherhood. Despite this, there persists a significant knowledge gap regarding the dynamics of food insecurity among adolescent mothers in a region that bears nearly 10% of the global burden of food insecurity. Marginalized adolescent mothers in resource-constrained settings experience heightened vulnerability to food insecurity due to structural disadvantages that reinforce intergenerational cycles of deprivation and impede progress toward achieving equity and improved well-being among adolescent mothers. We conducted a scoping review, following the Arksey and O'Malley framework enhanced by the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines, to examine the drivers, coping strategies, and mental, sexual, and reproductive health impacts associated with food insecurity among adolescent mothers (10-19 years) in SSA. We searched five databases and identified 263 non-duplicate records, of which 16 met the inclusion criteria. Thematic analysis revealed that the drivers of food insecurity were economic (poverty and economic constraints), social (stigma, family size, and caregiving responsibilities), and ecological (infertile land) factors. Coping strategies included economic-based activities, reliance on social support, and high-risk behaviours. Food insecurity had ripple effects on sexual and reproductive health, including coerced, age-disparate, and substance-influenced sex, and adverse mental health outcomes such as depression and suicide attempts. This review highlights the need for further research to drive meaningful advancements in policy and practice related to food security among adolescent mothers in SSA.