Abstract

BackgroundAdolescent pregnancy poses risks to the life of a young mother and her baby, and can affect their health, educational and future employment outcomes. In many low- and middle-income countries like the Philippines, the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program is among the most reliable and easily accessible sources of demographic and health data for researchers, development workers, and policymakers. Data on adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) are often limited, but in the absence of other sources, there is room to make the most of the adolescent health data gathered by the DHS. The aim of this study is to explore what more can be learned about adolescent sexual initiation and pregnancy through the further analysis of demographic and health data, using DHS data from the Philippines as an example.MethodsThis study conducted trend analysis of DHS data over three survey rounds (2003, 2008 and 2013) to explore the context of adolescent sexual initiation and pregnancy over time. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were then used to study associations between adolescent pregnancy experience and selected demographic, socioeconomic and SRH variables using data from the 2013 DHS.ResultsThis study found that between 2003 and 2013, proportions of Filipino young women experiencing adolescent sexual initiation and adolescent pregnancy have increased. Multivariate logistic regression affirmed the protective effect of education and belonging to higher wealth quintiles on the risk of adolescent pregnancy. Ever use of contraception was positively associated with adolescent pregnancy but is likely indicative of use after a prior pregnancy, and/or other factors relating to improper/inconsistent contraceptive use.ConclusionsIn the absence of reliable, easily accessible data on adolescent SRH, the DHS data can provide important insights about adolescent reproductive transitions such as sexual initiation and first pregnancy. However, there are limited variables in the datasets that could proxy for other important social determinants which prior studies have linked to adolescent SRH outcomes. There remains a need for timely and targeted collection of quantitative and qualitative data on adolescent SRH that can guide programming and policy intended to foster positive health outcomes during this crucial transition period to adulthood.

Highlights

  • Adolescent pregnancy poses risks to the life of a young mother and her baby, and can affect their health, educational and future employment outcomes

  • Sexual initiation in early adolescence increases the risk of adolescent pregnancy [2], especially in settings where unmet need for contraception/family planning and persists

  • The research question that this study aims to address is: In the absence of other data sources, what more can be learned about adolescent sexual initiation and pregnancy through further analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) data? Among the Southeast Asian countries that have exhibited increasing adolescent fertility in recent decades, the Philippines presents an interesting case, as it has shown the longest-running, consistent increases in adolescent fertility rates in the region [5]

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Summary

Introduction

Adolescent pregnancy poses risks to the life of a young mother and her baby, and can affect their health, educational and future employment outcomes. Adolescent pregnancy poses risks to the life of the young mother and her baby, and can compromise their health, educational and future employment outcomes [1]. Some studies conducted in Southeast Asian countries report that young people are experiencing sexual initiation in adolescence [9, 10], at younger ages [11,12,13,14], and before union formation (i.e. cohabitation or marriage) [12, 15, 16]. Adolescents – especially those who are unmarried and sexually active – often have the greatest unmet need for contraception [17], and face multiple barriers to contraceptive information, access, and use [10, 18], putting them at risk of unplanned pregnancy

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