Topic: prevalence and determinants of adolescent pregnancy among sexually active adolescent girls in Niger

Abstract

All over the world, including in Niger, adolescent pregnancy remains a challenge requiring urgent solution. This study sought to examine the prevalence and determinants of adolescent pregnancy among sexually active adolescent girls in Niger. The study used data from the 2012 Niger Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). The statistical software STATA version 13 was used to process the data. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses were employed in this study and results were tested at the 95% confidence interval (CI). The study found that adolescents aged 19 years [odds ratio (OR) = 55.29, 95% CI = 25.50–119.90] and those who had ever used contraceptives (OR = 22.65, 95% CI = 5.18–99.05) had higher odds of experiencing adolescent pregnancy. On the other hand, there was a low likelihood of adolescent pregnancy among those who were married/cohabiting (OR = 0.08, 95% CI = 0.01–0.80), widowed/divorced/separated (OR = 0.03, 95% CI = 0.01–0.31) and those whose age at first sex was 16–19 years (OR = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.16–0.34). The socio-demographic factors that influence adolescent pregnancy in Niger are interesting and important for health, economic and social concerns. Understanding the factors associated with adolescent pregnancy will lead to improved social policies, ultimately reducing adolescent pregnancy in Niger and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa.