Prevalence of first adolescent pregnancy and its associated factors in sub-Saharan Africa: A multi-country analysis. 2021

Bright Opoku Ahinkorah, and Melissa Kang, and Lin Perry, and Fiona Brooks, and Andrew Hayen
School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia.

In low-and middle-income countries, pregnancy-related complications are major causes of death for young women. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of first adolescent pregnancy and its associated factors in sub-Saharan Africa. We undertook a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 32 sub-Saharan African countries between 2010 and 2018. We calculated the prevalence of first adolescent (aged 15 to 19 years) pregnancy in each country and examined associations between individual and contextual level factors and first adolescent pregnancy. Among all adolescents, Congo experienced the highest prevalence of first adolescent pregnancy (44.3%) and Rwanda the lowest (7.2%). However, among adolescents who had ever had sex, the prevalence ranged from 36.5% in Rwanda to 75.6% in Chad. The odds of first adolescent pregnancy was higher with increasing age, working, being married/cohabiting, having primary education only, early sexual initiation, knowledge of contraceptives, no unmet need for contraception and poorest wealth quintile. By contrast, adolescents who lived in rural areas and in the West African sub-region had lower odds of first adolescent pregnancy. The prevalence of adolescent pregnancy in sub-Saharan African countries is high. Understanding the predictors of first adolescent pregnancy can facilitate the development of effective social policies such as family planning and comprehensive sex and relationship education in sub-Saharan Africa and can help ensure healthy lives and promotion of well-being for adolescents and their families and communities.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D010298 Parity The number of offspring a female has borne. It is contrasted with GRAVIDITY, which refers to the number of pregnancies, regardless of outcome. Multiparity,Nulliparity,Primiparity,Parity Progression Ratio,Parity Progression Ratios,Ratio, Parity Progression,Ratios, Parity Progression
D011247 Pregnancy The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH. Gestation,Pregnancies
D011253 Pregnancy in Adolescence Pregnancy in human adolescent females under the age of 19. Adolescent Pregnancy,Pregnancy, Adolescent,Pregnancy, Teenage,Preteen Pregnancy,Teenage Pregnancy,Teen Pregnancy,Adolescence, Pregnancy in,Adolescent Pregnancies,Pregnancies, Adolescent,Pregnancies, Preteen,Pregnancies, Teen,Pregnancies, Teenage,Pregnancy, Preteen,Pregnancy, Teen,Preteen Pregnancies,Teen Pregnancies,Teenage Pregnancies
D003267 Contraception Prevention of CONCEPTION by blocking fertility temporarily, or permanently (STERILIZATION, REPRODUCTIVE). Common means of reversible contraception include NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING METHODS; CONTRACEPTIVE AGENTS; or CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES. Birth Control,Contraceptive Methods,Female Contraception,Fertility Control,Inhibition of Fertilization,Male Contraception,Contraception, Female,Contraception, Male,Contraceptions, Female,Contraceptions, Male,Contraceptive Method,Female Contraceptions,Fertilization Inhibition,Male Contraceptions
D003268 Contraception Behavior Behavior patterns of those practicing CONTRACEPTION. Contraceptive Behavior,Contraceptive Method Switching,Contraceptive Usage,Contraception Behaviors,Contraceptive Behaviors
D003430 Cross-Sectional Studies Studies in which the presence or absence of disease or other health-related variables are determined in each member of the study population or in a representative sample at one particular time. This contrasts with LONGITUDINAL STUDIES which are followed over a period of time. Disease Frequency Surveys,Prevalence Studies,Analysis, Cross-Sectional,Cross Sectional Analysis,Cross-Sectional Survey,Surveys, Disease Frequency,Analyses, Cross Sectional,Analyses, Cross-Sectional,Analysis, Cross Sectional,Cross Sectional Analyses,Cross Sectional Studies,Cross Sectional Survey,Cross-Sectional Analyses,Cross-Sectional Analysis,Cross-Sectional Study,Cross-Sectional Surveys,Disease Frequency Survey,Prevalence Study,Studies, Cross-Sectional,Studies, Prevalence,Study, Cross-Sectional,Study, Prevalence,Survey, Cross-Sectional,Survey, Disease Frequency,Surveys, Cross-Sectional
D005193 Family Planning Services Health care programs or services designed to assist individuals in the planning of family size. Various methods of CONTRACEPTION can be used to control the number and timing of childbirths. Family Planning,Family Planning Programs,Planned Pregnancy,Pregnancy, Planned,Family Planning Program,Family Planning Service,Planned Pregnancies,Planning Service, Family,Planning Services, Family,Pregnancies, Planned,Program, Family Planning,Programs, Family Planning,Service, Family Planning,Services, Family Planning
D005260 Female Females
D006306 Health Surveys A systematic collection of factual data pertaining to health and disease in a human population within a given geographic area. Abortion Surveys,Abortion Survey,Health Survey,Survey, Abortion,Survey, Health,Surveys, Abortion,Surveys, Health
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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