Project report
Exploring the Socio-Cultural Factors Behind the Early Marriage and Pregnancy Cases in Eastern India: A Qualitative Study
Sahu M, Dutt R, Roy S, Das R, Paul A ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This qualitative study explored why teenage girls in Eastern India become pregnant early, interviewing 27 pregnant adolescents at a hospital in Kolkata. The research found that lack of education, poverty, family pressure, and cultural expectations of early childbearing after marriage are the main reasons. Even when girls knew about contraception, they rarely used it because of social and cultural barriers. The study recommends better education for girls, awareness campaigns, economic support for families, and stronger enforcement of laws against child marriage.
Key points
- Lack of education, financial constraints, and familial expectations emerged as primary drivers of early pregnancy
- Family pressure and cultural norms promoted early conception after marriage
- Despite awareness of reproductive health, contraception use was low and pregnancies were often unplanned
- Adolescent pregnancy remains high in absolute numbers in India despite declining percentages
- Solutions require multifaceted approaches including girls' education, economic empowerment, and stringent enforcement of laws against early marriage
Limitations
This is a qualitative study with only 27 participants from one hospital in Eastern India, so findings cannot be generalized to all of India or other regions. The study describes factors associated with early pregnancy but does not measure the relative strength or causality of different factors.
Abstract
Abstract Introduction: Adolescent pregnancy, defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as pregnancies between 10–19 years, poses significant health risks, particularly in Lower Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). Early pregnancies are associated with various complications, including preterm labor and perinatal deaths. In India, despite a decline in the percentage of teenage pregnancies, absolute figures remain high, impacting a substantial portion of the population. Our study aims to explore the sociocultural factors among others which led to teenage pregnancies. Methods This qualitative study, conducted in the OBG and Pediatrics departments of ESIC Medical College & Hospital, Joka, aimed to explore socio-cultural factors contributing to early and teenage pregnancies. One-to-one in-depth interviews were conducted with 27 teenage and early-aged pregnant women, focusing on demographic, socio-cultural, and awareness factors. Thematic analysis was employed for qualitative data. Results The study identified three major themes: Demographic factors, Socio-cultural factors, and Awareness of Reproductive & Child Health. Lack of education, financial constraints, and familial expectations emerged as primary drivers. Family pressure and cultural norms promoted early conception after marriage. Despite awareness, contraception use was low, and pregnancies were often unplanned. Conclusion Addressing early pregnancies requires a multifaceted approach involving basic education, awareness campaigns, and economic empowerment. Prioritizing higher education for girls, dispelling cultural norms, and promoting contraceptive use are essential. Government schemes supporting women's empowerment and discouraging teenage pregnancies play a crucial role. Comprehensive measures, including sex education, and stringent laws against early marriages, are vital for reducing the societal burden of early and teenage pregnancies.