Individual and familial factors associated with teenage pregnancy: an interview study.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The determinants of teenage sexual health, including pregnancies, can be addressed from social, familial and individual level perspectives. The main objective of this study was to examine whether pregnancy among 18 years old and younger girls were associated with selected individual (age at coitarche, score of sexual health knowledge, dislike of school) and family (mother's education) and family functioning (alcohol abuse in the family, parents' acceptance of sexual relationship) characteristics. METHODS: An interview survey in two medical institutions in Estonia among 279 18 year old and younger girls, who (i) used contraception, had been sexually active for at least 6 months and had not pregnancies--(148 girls); (ii) came for termination of pregnancy--abortion group; (iii) planned to deliver and came for prenatal care--delivery group. The last two groups were analysed together as the 'pregnancy group'--131 girls. Multivariate analysis, by means of logistic regression models, was used to explore whether the associations were sustained after adjusting for other variables. Crude odds ratios (ORs), adjusted ORs and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated, with girls having no pregnancies as the reference group. RESULTS: Risk factors associated with teenage pregnancy were low score of sexual health knowledge (adjusted ORs 3.07; 95% CIs 1.73-5.46), dislike of school (adjusted ORs 1.96; 95% CIs 1.08-3.54), alcohol abuse by family members (adjusted ORs 2.03; 95% CIs 1.16-3.54). CONCLUSION: Sexual knowledge of teenagers, their attitude towards school, alcohol abuse in the family are factors associated with teenage pregnancies.