Magnitude and Risk Factors Associated with Adolescent Pregnancy in Ethiopia

Abstract

Teenage pregnancy occurs in girls between the ages of 13–19 years and is a major cause of newborn and maternal mortality in developing countries. This study examined the prevalence and risk factors associated with early childbearing among teenage girls in Ethiopia. A Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) was conducted and a two-stage cluster sampling design was used to select the sample, and multilevel logistic regression models were used to identify the risk factors associated with early childbearing. There was a 10.26% prevalence of early childbearing among Ethiopian girls. Girls who married below the age of 15 and between 15-17 years to poor and middle-income partners, did not use contraceptives while those with primary, secondary, and higher education were less associated with early childbearing in Ethiopia. This study reveals that teenage childbearing is a major public health concern in Ethiopia. Hence, the government should implement policies to limit prevalence through formal education, and improve access to reproductive health education and contraception, especially among teenage girls from the poorest households.