Teenage pregnancy rates and associations with other health risk behaviours: a threewave cross-sectional study among South African school-going adolescents
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Date
2016
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
BioMed Central
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Teenage pregnancy still remains high in low and middle-income countries (LMIC), as well as in highincome
countries (HIC). It is a major contributor to maternal and child morbidity and mortality rates. Furthermore, it
has social consequences, such as perpetuating the cycle of poverty including early school dropout by the pregnant
adolescent, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Few studies in SSA have investigated the trends in teenage
pregnancy and the associated factors, while this is critical in fully understanding teenage pregnancy and for
promotion of reproductive health among adolescents at large in SSA.
METHODS: To examine the trends in teenage pregnancy and to identify associations with other health risk
behaviours in South Africa (SA), a total of 31 816 South African school-going adolescents between 11 to 19 years of
age were interviewed in three cross-sectional surveys. Data from the first (2002, n = 10 549), second (2008, n = 10
270) and the third (2011, n = 10 997) nationally representative South African youth risk behaviour surveys (YRBS)
were used for this study.
RESULTS: The overall prevalence of having ever been pregnant among the combined 3-survey sample was selfreported
to be 11.0 % and stable across the three surveys. Sexual intercourse among adolescents in SA has
decreased from 41.9 % in 2002 to 36.9 % in 2011. However, pregnancy among girls who ever had sex increased
from 17.3 % (95 % CI: 0.16–0.19) in 2002, to 23.6 % (95 % CI: 0.21–0.26) in 2008 and decreased to 21.3 % (95 % CI:
0.19–0.23) in 2011. The odds for ever been pregnant were higher for girls who had 2 or more sexual partners (OR:
1.250, 95 % CI: 1.039–1.503), girls who ever used alcohol before sex (OR: 1.373, 95 % CI: 1.004–1.878), practised
binge-drinking during the last month (OR: 0.624, 95 % CI: 0.503–0.774), and girls who used mandrax (OR: 1.968,
95 % CI: 1,243–3.117). The odds for never been pregnant were lower for those who used condoms (OR: 0.462, 95 %
CI: 0.309–0.691).
CONCLUSIONS: Girls continue to become pregnant at unacceptably high rates in SA. Sexual intercourse among
adolescents in SA has decreased slightly. However, among those who are sexually active pregnancy prevalence
rates have increased. More over, this is in the context of high prevalence of HIV and other STI. There is a need to
address adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health, and several health risk behaviours, including substance use,
that are associated with teenage pregnancy in SA.
Description
Keywords
Teenage pregnancy, Risky sexual behaviours, Pregnancy, Adolescents, Health risk behaviours, Trends, Adolescent reproductive health, Substance use
Citation
Jonas, K. et al. (2016). Teenage pregnancy rates and associations with other health risk behaviours: a threewave cross-sectional study among South African school-going adolescents. Reproductive Health, 13: 50.