Married Adolescents Research Articles

Knowledge, attitude and practice regarding sexual and reproductive health rights among married adolescents in urban slums of Bangladesh: A cross-sectional survey

Background: Adolescents, especially married adolescents living within urban slum communities, encounter significant difficulties in obtaining and exercising their sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR). This study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practice of SRHR and its associated factors among married adolescents living in urban slums. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 500 married adolescent girls living in slums in Dhaka and Gazipur, Bangladesh, was conducted in the icddr,b Health and Demography Surveillance System areas. We interviewed them using a pretested questionnaire to assess their knowledge, attitude, and practice of SRHR. Data on their sociodemographic variables, such as household asset items and age and education, were collected. Principal component analysis was used to create wealth indices. Results: Knowledge of self-care during menstruation and the oral contraceptive pill was almost universal, though knowledge of condoms, abortion, danger signs of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections was low. They (70%) agreed that young people should have access to menstruation-related hygiene facilities, contraception and sex education, though there was less agreement regarding abortion being a woman’s right. The use of antenatal care and institutional-level delivery was also low. Age, years of schooling and prior pregnancy were positively associated with their knowledge levels. Important attitudinal and practice variations were noted between regions, Gazipur being the most disadvantaged. Conclusion: There are important gaps in knowledge and practice in SRH service-seeking in this slum population. Heterogeneity in the slum population must be recognised to design services that reach the most disadvantaged group.

Factors associated with contraceptive use among adolescents in three regions of Senegal.

The study aimed to evaluate the use of contraception by adolescents aged 10 to 19 years in three municipalities of Senegal, as well as the associated factors. The study was conducted in 2022 and used a cross-sectional approach. The sample size was 940 participants. Sampling was done using a multistage stratified random sampling method. The chi-square test and logistic regression using R software version 4.2.1 were used to analyze the data. Only 2.2% of adolescents had ever used a contraceptive method. Adolescents aged 15 to 19 years, those residing in Kolda, married adolescents, and those who were aware of family planning were more likely to use family planning methods. We conclude that policymakers in Senegal should implement policies and programmes for improving the reproductive health needs of adolescents in Senegal.

Mediating effects of inequitable gender norms on intimate partner violence and contraceptive use in a cluster randomized control trial in Niger.

Previous research has demonstrated that the Reaching Married Adolescents intervention (RMA) was associated with changes in inequitable gender norms, intimate partner violence (IPV), and modern contraceptive use. This study seeks to understand if changes in inequitable gender norms mediate the RMA intervention's effects on contraceptive use and intimate partner violence (IPV). A four-arm cluster randomized control trial was conducted to evaluate effects of the RMA intervention (household visits, small groups, combination, control) on married adolescent girls and their husbands in Dosso, Niger (baseline: 1042 dyads; 24m follow-up: 737 dyads; 2016-2019). Mediation was assessed using inverse odds ratio weighting. In the small group intervention, of the total effect on IPV prevalence (8% reduction), indirect effects via inequitable gender norms is associated with a 2% decrease (95% CI: -0.07, 0.12) and direct effects with a 6% decrease (95% CI: -0.20, -0.02). For household visits, of the total effect on contraceptive use (20% increase), the indirect effect accounts for an 11% decrease (95% CI: -0.18, -0.01) and direct effect, a 32% increase (95% CI: 0.13, 0.44); similar to findings for the combination arm. This experimental evidence informs the value of changing underlying social norms to reduce IPV and increase contraception use.

Interventions to Address the Health and Well-Being of Married Adolescents: A Systematic Review.

Child marriage, defined by the United Nations as marriage before the age of 18 years, is a widespread practice with serious health and social consequences. We systematically reviewed academic and gray literature to learn what is known about the current state of the evidence for interventions to respond to the needs of married adolescents. Our analysis of the 29 included intervention studies identified variability across sectors, with most programs focusing on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and maternal health. We found that interventions occur mostly at a small scale, are geographically concentrated, and focus on SRH to the neglect of other sectors. There is a need for programs to focus on improving educational and economic outcomes among married girls, as well as increased efforts to support equitable marital relations and engage men and boys. The emphasis on preventing child marriage must be matched by efforts to mitigate and respond to the practice.

Exploration of Factors Influencing Early Marriage in Adolescents: A Literature Review

A phenomenon that often occurs in lower middle economic circles is early marriage. Early marriage can threaten the health and well-being of the couples involved. Not only does it affect health aspects, but it also impacts psychological, social and spiritual aspects. Mental instability in running a household can lead to divorce and domestic violence. This research aimed to explore which factors play a major role in early marriage, especially among adolescents. Using a systematic literature review with keyword “Teenagers AND early marriage AND Factor Influencing” which had a limit criteria of 2019-2024, using English and Indonesian Language, qualitative research design, and full txt. There were 2079 articles SAGE, Portal Garuda, Neliti, and Google Scholar databases and were re-screnned to obtain a total of 7 journals based on inclusion and exclusion criteria with PRISMA Flow 2020 guidelines. Early marriage is caused by external and internal factors. External factors include socio-economic factors, cultural norms, low level of education, poor parenting while internal factors include love, the desire to be accepted in society life, and new opportunities in life.

Psychosocial dimension of adolescent pregnancy: a phenomenological study on life experiences

ABSTRACT Aim This study aimed to assess the lived experiences of adolescent pregnant young women, with a specific focus on the psychosocial aspect of adolescent pregnancy, using a phenomenological approach. Design Employing the phenomenological research method, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted between 3 August and 18 August 2023 with 15 young women (mean age = 21.86 years; SD = 1.06) living in a province in eastern Turkey who had undergone adolescent pregnancy 3–5 years before. Methods The criterion sampling method, a form of purposive sampling, was used to form the sample group. Interviews were carried out until data saturation was reached. All interviews were recorded and transcribed, and thematic analysis was utilised to analyse the data. The study adhered to the COREQ checklist for reporting. Results Through data analysis, three main categories (reflections on adolescent pregnancy, challenges due to adolescent pregnancy, and effects of adolescent pregnancy) and nine sub-themes (emotions, roles and responsibilities, perception of social support, cognitive, emotional, behavioural, mental, physical, and social) emerged. Conclusion Our study highlights the adverse psychosocial impact of adolescent pregnancy on young women. Young women who got married at an early age before attaining full physical, social, and psychological maturity grappled with the substantial burdens of adolescent pregnancy and adjusting to their new roles. The study’s implications are significant, emphasising the necessity of addressing the psychosocial facets of adolescent marriage and pregnancy, and gaining valuable insights for the future.

When one door closes: a qualitative exploration of women’s experiences of access to sexual and reproductive health services during the COVID-19 lockdown in Nigeria

BackgroundCOVID-19 pandemic widely disrupted health services provision, especially during the lockdown period, with females disproportionately affected. Very little is known about alternative healthcare sources used by women when access to conventional health services became challenging. This study examined the experiences of women and adolescent girls regarding access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services during the COVID-19 lockdown in Nigeria and their choices of alternative healthcare sources.MethodsThe study sites were two northern states, two southern states, and the Federal Capital Territory. Qualitative data were obtained through 10 focus group discussion sessions held with married adolescents, unmarried adolescents, and older women of reproductive age. The data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a thematic approach and with the aid of Atlas ti software.ResultsWomen reported that access to family planning services was the most affected SRH services during the COVID-19 lockdown. Several barriers to accessing SRH services during COVID-19 lockdown were reported, including restriction of vehicular movement, harassment by law enforcement officers, fear of contracting COVID-19 from health facilities, and fear of undergoing compulsory COVID-19 tests when seeking care in health facilities. In the face of constrained access to SRH services in public sector facilities during the COVID-19 lockdown, women sought care from several alternative sources, mostly locally available and informal services, including medicine vendors, traditional birth attendants, and neighbours with some health experience. Women also widely engaged in self-medication, using both orthodox drugs and non-orthodox preparations like herbs. The lockdown negatively impacted on women’s SRH, with increased incidence of sexual- and gender-based violence, unplanned pregnancy resulting from lack of access to contraceptives, and early marriage involving adolescents with unplanned pregnancies.ConclusionCOVID-19 negatively impacted access to SRH services and forced women to utilise mostly informal service outlets and home remedies as alternatives to conventional health services. There is a need to ensure the continuity of essential SRH services during future lockdowns occasioned by disease outbreaks. Also, community systems strengthening that ensures effective community-based health services, empowered community resource persons, and health-literate populations are imperative for overcoming barriers to healthcare access during future lockdowns.

Dynamics of caste and early childbearing in India: a perspective of three decades

BackgroundEarly childbearing disrupts girls’ otherwise healthy growth into adulthood and adversely affects their education, livelihood, and health. Individual, sociocultural, economic, environmental, and health service-related factors contribute to childbearing among young females. In India, caste affects health outcomes despite several affirmative policies aimed at improving the health and welfare of the backward castes/tribes. However, there is a dearth of empirical evidence about the impact of caste on early childbearing, more specifically, regarding the trajectory of inter-caste disparities in early childbearing.MethodThis study used data from all five rounds of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) in India to assess the association between caste and early childbearing over the last three decades. All women aged 20–24 [NFHS-1 (n = 17,218), NFHS-2 (n = 15,973), NFHS-3 (n = 22,807), NFHS-4 (n = 122,955) and NFHS-5 (n = 118,700)] were considered to create a pooled data set (n = 297,653) for analysis. Bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression were conducted using Stata (v17). ArcMap (v10.8) presented the caste-wise prevalence of early childbearing among the states and Union Territories (UTs).ResultsMany women continue to have early childbearing despite a considerable reduction over the last three decades from 47% in 1992-93 to 15% in 2019-21. Compared to NFHS-1, the odds of early childbearing increased by 15% in NFHS-2 and, after that, declined by 42% in NFHS-3 and 64% in NFHS-4 and NFHS-5. The inter-caste disparity in early childbearing persists, albeit with a narrowing gap, with the Scheduled castes (SC) remaining the most vulnerable group. Adjusting the effects of socio-demographic and economic characteristics, SC women had significantly higher odds of early childbearing (OR = 1.07, CI = 1.04–1.11) than those from the General caste.ConclusionTo decrease early childbirth, a focus on adolescent marriage prevention and increasing contraceptive use among young SC women is necessary. Strengthening ongoing programs and policies targeting educational and economic empowerment of the socially weaker castes/tribes will help in reducing early childbearing. Efforts to prevent early childbearing will accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)-especially those related to health, poverty, nutrition, education, and general wellbeing, in addition to protecting women’s reproductive rights.

Effects of the Momentum project on postpartum family planning norms and behaviors among married and unmarried adolescent and young first-time mothers in Kinshasa: A quasi-experimental study.

This study evaluated the effect of Momentum-an integrated family planning, maternal and newborn health, and nutrition intervention-on postpartum family planning norms and behaviors among ever married and never-married first-time mothers age 15-24 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Using data collected in 2018 and 2020, we conducted an intent-to-treat analysis among 1,927 first-time mothers who were about six-months pregnant at enrollment. Difference-in-differences models were run for panel data and treatment effects models with inverse-probability weighting for endline-only outcomes. Average treatment effects (ATE) were estimated. Momentum had positive effects on partner discussion of family planning in the early postpartum period (ever married 15-19: ATE = 0.179, 95% CI = 0.098, 0.261; never married 15-19: ATE = 0.131, 95% CI = 0.029, 0.232; ever married 20-24: ATE = 0.233, 95% CI = 0.164, 0.302; never married 20-24: ATE = 0.241, 95% CI = 0.121, 0.362) and discussion with a health worker, and on obtaining a contraceptive method in the early postpartum period, except among never married adolescents. Among adolescents, intervention effects on modern contraceptive use within 12 months of childbirth/pregnancy loss were larger for the never married (ATE = 0.251, 95% CI = 0.122, 0.380) than the ever married (ATE = 0.114, 95% CI = 0.020, 0.208). Full intervention exposure had consistently larger effects on contraceptive behaviors than partial exposure, except among ever married adolescents. Momentum had no effect on normative expectations about postpartum family planning use among adolescents, and on descriptive norms and personal agency among those who were never married. Results for normative outcomes and personal agency underscored the intersectionality between young maternal age and marital status. Future programs should improve personal agency and foster normative change in support of postpartum family planning uptake and tailor interventions to different age and marital status subsets of first-time mothers.

Socio-economic disparities and predictors of fertility among adolescents aged 15 to 19 in Zambia: Evidence from the Zambia Demographic and Health Survey (2018).

Globally, 12 million girls aged 15-19 give birth each year, and Africa hosts 19% of youth aged 15-24. In Zambia, 29% of adolescents experience childbirth, with variations by age. Projections suggest a continued rise in these trends by 2030. Zambia came up with Adolescent Health Strategic Plan 2011-2015 among the specific policies being advocated for was Adolescent-Friendly Health Services (ADFHS) in order to mitigate among others adolescent fertility. The study aims to investigate socio-economic disparities and predictors of fertility in Zambian adolescents aged 15 to 19. The study used a cross-sectional study design utilized the 2018 Zambia Demographic Health Survey (ZDHS). The variable of interest in this study is "total number of children ever born" among adolescents aged 15 to 19 years. The explanatory variables that were used in the study were demographic, socio-economic, behavioral and community level factors. The Rao-Scott Chi-square test was used to test for association between categorical variables. Determinants of adolescent fertility were identified through a multilevel ordinal logistic regression conducted at a significance level of 5%. Analysis in the study was carried out using Stata version 14.2. A total of 3,000 adolescents were involved in the study, revealing that 75.88% had not given birth, 21.14% had one child, and 2.98% had at least two children. The findings revealed that education played a protective role, with adjusted odds ratios (AOR) of 0.47 (95% CI, 0.23-0.97), 0.21 (95% CI, 0.10-0.47), and 0.03 (95% CI, 0.00-0.54) for primary, secondary, and tertiary education, respectively. On the other hand, certain factors were associated with an elevated risk of fertility. These included the age of adolescents, educational attainment, marital status, wealth index, contraceptive use, exposure to family planning (FP) messages, being educated about FP at health facilities, and age at first sexual encounter. Among contextual factors, only community age at first birth was identified as a predictor of fertility, AOR, 1.59 (95% CI, 1.01-2.52). The study highlights sociodemographic disparities in adolescent fertility, emphasizing the need for targeted sexual reproductive health policies. Education protects against having more than one child, while marital status significantly influences fertility, particularly for married adolescents. The research provides valuable insights into the complex factors shaping adolescent fertility in Zambia, offering guidance for interventions and policies to support this vulnerable demographic.

Factors Associated with Utilization of Sexual and Reproductive Health Services among Married Adolescent Girls in Kano, Northern Nigeria.

Married adolescents face significant obstacles in making informed reproductive health decisions and accessing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. It is important to identify barriers hindering these adolescents from accessing SRH services. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with the utilization of SRH services among married adolescent girls in northern Nigeria. We used a cross-sectional study design. The study population comprised of married female adolescents aged 14-19 years who were residents in the study areas for at least six months. The outcome measure was SRH service utilization, defined as the use of any of the conventional SRH services (ante/postnatal care, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing and counseling, sexually transmitted infections (STI) treatment, family planning, and post-abortion care). Predictor variables included the sociodemographic, obstetric, and gynecological characteristics of the respondents. An adapted, pretested, interviewer-administered, and semi-structured questionnaire was employed for data collection. Multivariable logistic regression was used to explore the independent association between selected variables and utilization of SRH services. A total of 200 respondents were surveyed (100 each from an urban and a rural community in Kano, Nigeria), survey response rate: 94.5%. The age of respondents ranged from 14 to 19 years, with mean age (± standard deviation) of 18.5 (±1.1) years and 17.5 (±1.3) years for urban and rural respondents, respectively. All respondents were aware of the available SRH facilities and preferred public facilities (92.6% urban respondents and 67.0% rural respondents). Ever-use of SRH services was higher among urban than rural respondents (86% vs. 56%, respectively). Geographic proximity was a key factor for urban respondents (64.2%), while affordability was considered important by rural respondents (47.9%). Respondent's age and partner's occupation were independently associated with utilization of SRH services. Urban respondents whose husbands were businessmen were seven times more likely to use SRH services than those whose partners were civil servants (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 6.80, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.29-35.84, P = 0.02). Rural respondents 18 years of age and older were approximately six times more likely to utilize SRH services than those <18 years (aOR = 5.71, 95% CI: 1.56-12.78, P = 0.01). Awareness of available SRH services was high in the study population, and service utilization was influenced by the respondent's age and partner's occupation. Findings from this study can help inform the development of age-appropriate and accessible SRH services tailored to married adolescents in similar settings.

Gender lens review of adolescent health care services: a mixed methods study in Bangladesh

Background The application of a gender lens enables the identification of gendered power dynamics that are deeply embedded within structures and institutions. This study delved into a comprehensive analysis of gender norms of male and female adolescents in terms of their health needs, the type of health services offered to them, the barriers and facilitators for utilization of health services at the adolescent-friendly health services (AFHS) across different tiers of government health facilities through a gender lens. Methods The study was conducted at 23 health facilities across four districts of Bangladesh from February 2022 to June 2022. The study design was cross-sectional with a mixed methods approach. A total of 304 adolescents completed the survey, and 28 adolescents participated in in-depth interviews (IDI). Key-informant interviews (KII) were conducted with 48 key stakeholders, including parents, teachers, health service providers, facility managers, and health managers. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Adolescents have different needs for information about services, types of services provided, and use based on gender. There was a significant association between the marital status of adolescents and the need for different types of health services (P&lt;0.05). Female adolescents receive tetanus-diphtheria (TD) vaccinations and iron folic acid (IFA) tablets, while male adolescents can receive them upon request. TD immunization is common among married female adolescents (14.9%) compared to unmarried female adolescents (11.8%) and unmarried male adolescents (1.1%). Unmarried female adolescents (36.1%) seek help more frequently for menstrual problems, while unmarried male adolescents (24%) are more likely to seek services related to puberty. Parents, teachers, and health service providers have different gendered perceptions of male and female adolescents’ health needs and use of health services. These perceptions contribute to understanding male and female adolescents’ utilization of services. Conclusions This study reveals that gender norms influence adolescents’ health needs, types, and utilization of services. This is probably due to differences in gendered perception of the critical stakeholders for adolescents, who sometimes face barriers in the utilization of health services at the facilities.

Psychoeducation program “Me and Marriage: Marriage with Preparation” as a prevention of early marriage

Commitment to a romantic relationship is a developmental task of early adulthood that usually manifests as marriage. The government has established a minimum age of marriage for both men and women. Nonetheless, specific regions in West Java still witness marriages of couples under this prescribed age when early marriage can bring difficulties for young couples adjusting their roles as husband or wife, parents, and partaking in childcare and conflict resolution. This issue is evident in Cipacing, Jatinangor, with many instances of adolescent marriages, child stunting cases, and adolescents committing risky behaviors. Thus, the present Community Engagement (PPM) program aims to provide knowledge and awareness for adolescents and early adults regarding the significance of preparatory measures before marriage. The activity focuses on educating the meaning of marriage, essential premarital preparations, and self-identification related to marriage readiness. A total of 40 adolescents and early adults participated in the activity. Our analysis of pre-and post-test scores revealed improved mean scores by a majority of participants, indicating increased knowledge. Recommendations for future activities include optimizing the socialization process by adopting a more concise timeframe and employing a delivery method that ensures ease of comprehension, allowing the next program to run more efficiently and effectively.

Empowering Women, Securing Futures: Contraception’s Role in Socioeconomic Progress in India

Introduction: It is necessary to empower women to enable them to make their own reproductive choices, including contraception as well as use of modern contraception. Our article aims to highlight the importance of women’s empowerment regarding contraceptive use in family planning and poverty eradication. Methods: Our literature search included data on family planning programs, contraceptive use, awareness of and access to contraception, and women empowerment regarding contraceptive use in India; approaches to policymaking regarding family planning; and international data on early legal access, women’s reproductive rights, and barriers to contraceptive use. Results: Despite the introduction of oral contraceptives, 38% of currently married women in the 15–49 age group use sterilization as a method of contraception. Only 28% of married Indian adolescents use contraception. The highest reliance on sterilization is found in women married off early, conceiving early, and with little access to education and information. There are barriers to both use of contraceptives and reversible contraceptives. Discussion: Family planning programs in India can focus on women’s reproductive rights, rather than population control, to bridge the gap in the unmet need for family planning, apart from making information and resources on contraception available to women from all socioeconomic strata.

Analysis of Factors Related to the Incidence of Postpartum Blues in Adolescent Mother

BACKGROUND: Adolescent marriage in Indonesia is very high, this will have an impact on the psychological aspects of adolescents. Postpartum psychological disorders of adolescent mothers are postpartum blues. AIM: The study aimed to identify factors related to the incidence of postpartum blues in adolescent mothers. METHODS: This quantitative study used a cross-sectional method involving 90 respondents taken by consecutive sampling. Research sites in Bandung City Special Hospital for Mothers and Children and Al-Ihsan Regional Public Hospital, Bandung District. This research was conducted from May to September 2019. Data collection instruments in this study use the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale. Pregnancy planning uses the London Measure of Unplanned Pregnancy questionnaire. Social support uses a postpartum support system and a family coping questionnaire. The last questionnaire is the psychosocial condition of the mother Postpartum Postnatal Risk Questionnaire. Multivariate analysis using logistic regression tests to determine the factors most related to the incidence of postpartum blues in adolescent mothers. RESULTS: The results showed that there were 44.4% of adolescent mothers experience postpartum blues. There was a significant relationship between social support and the incidence of postpartum blues (p = 0.001; odds ratio [OR] 11,777; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3604–109,534) and home living also had a significant relationship with the incidence of postpartum blues (p = 0.002; OR = 9,653; 95% CI = 0.001–0.225). A negative B value at the home living indicated that home living is a preventative factor for postpartum blues in adolescent mothers. CONCLUSIONS: Postpartum blues are influenced by social support, psychosocial conditions, and pregnancy planning. Adolescent mothers need to get attention, especially from their husbands and families during the period of puerperium.

Analysis of the Role of Premarital Guidance in Building Adolescents' Marriage Readiness: Study in Liunggunung Village, Purwakarta Regency, Indonesia

Marriage is one of the important events in human life. Therefore, marriage readiness is an important thing to pay attention to, especially for teenagers. Premarital guidance is one effort to increase teenagers' marriage readiness. This research aims to analyze the role of premarital guidance in building adolescent marriage readiness in Liunggunung Village, Purwakarta Regency, Indonesia. This research uses a qualitative approach with a case study method. The research subjects were 10 teenagers who had attended premarital guidance in Liunggunung Village. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and observations. The research results show that premarital guidance plays an important role in building teenagers' marriage readiness. Premarital guidance provides the knowledge and skills that teenagers need to get married, such as understanding marriage, husband-wife relationships, communication, and financial management. Premarital guidance also helps teenagers to prepare themselves physically and mentally for marriage.

Role of internet use, mobile phone, media exposure and domestic migration on reproductive health service use in Bangladeshi married adolescents and young women.

Numerous studies have identified factors that are associated with increased access to reproductive health services in lower-middle-income countries (LMICs). However, limited studies examined the influence of access to internet or a mobile phone, media exposure and domestic migration on reproductive health services use in LMICs like Bangladesh. This study investigated the role of such factors on the use of contraceptives, antenatal care (ANC) and postnatal care (PNC) by married adolescents and young women in Bangladesh and whether it was varied by area. Secondary data for 1665 married women aged 15-24 years, sourced from the 2019 Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, were included in both bivariate analyses and logistic regression modelling to examine the role of access to internet and/or mobile phone, media exposure and domestic migration on the outcome variables (contraceptive, ANC and PNC). All regression models were controlled for age, wealth, education and number of existing children. Among all participants, 69.8% were aged 20-24 years and 85.6% lived in rural areas. Of the total sample, 67.5% used contraceptives, 75.7% utilised ANC and 48.7% accessed PNC. Domestic migration significantly increased contraceptive use, with women who had moved locally within the last five years 1.84 times more likely to use contraception than those who had never moved (95% CI: 1.41-2.41, p<0.001). Women with internet or mobile phone access were more likely to receive ANC (aOR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.22-2.00, p<0.001) compared to those without internet/mobile phone access. Media exposure was found to increase the likelihood of receiving ANC in urban areas. No significant influence was found on the use of PNC. Internet/mobile-based platforms are promising avenues for public health messaging regarding ANC in Bangladeshi married adolescents and young women. Further research is required into determinants of PNC service use in low-resource settings.

Qualitative Study on Adolescent Marriage and The Risk of Stunting in South Kalimantan

Qualitative Study on Adolescent Marriage and The Risk of Stunting in South Kalimantan

Adölesan Annelerin Sosyo-Demografik, Gebelik ve Doğum Özellikleri

Introduction: Adolescence is considered the transition period from childhood to adulthood. Pregnancy at an early age is encountered for various reasons, along with the sexuality that begins in this period. Having a child at an early age carries a high risk for both mother and baby.&#x0D; Objective: This study was conducted to determine adolescent mothers' socio-demographic, pregnancy, and birth characteristics in Bartın province.&#x0D; Method: The study was conducted as cross-sectional and descriptive. 89 adolescent women who gave birth between August and December 2008 in Bartın province constituted the population. Data were collected through a survey created by the researchers in line with the literature. SPSS 15.0 package program was used to evaluate the data. Mean and percentage were used in statistical evaluation. &#x0D; Results: It was determined that 83% of the adolescent mothers, whose average age was 18, 3 ±0.73 years, were older adolescents, 15% had primary school education or lower, 98% were housewives and worked unpaid in family businesses, and 14% did not have any social security. While 54% of the mothers live in the nuclear family before marriage, 78% live in the extended family after marriage. It was observed that 52% of the adolescent mothers got married by escaping, and 87% had adolescent marriages. It was determined that most adolescent mothers did not receive any information about family planning methods before marriage and did not use pre-pregnancy family planning methods. It was observed that 65% of the adolescent mothers had health problems during their pregnancies, 21% of the babies born had health problems postpartum, 16% of the babies were prematüre, and 8.9% had low birth weight.&#x0D; Conclusion: Adolescent mothers should receive family planning information and counseling to prevent adolescent pregnancies, an essential maternal and child health risk group. In primary care studies, it is thought that the risks to maternal and infant health will be reduced by planning appropriate reproductive health services for adolescents.

Adolescent marriage a violation of sexual and reproductive health rights: Trend, spatial variation and covariate analysis from national family health survey

IntroductionTen-to-Nineteen-year adolescent period is a very sensitive time for both boys and girls. Especially adolescent girls suffer more due to early marriage and its consequences of unintended pregnancy, unsafe abortion, high risk for sexually transmitted disease etc. ObjectiveThis study tried to analyse trend and spatial variation of adolescent girls' marriage practice in India. Further, this study is also tried to identify major socio-economic factors responsible for adolescent girl's marriage. MethodsPresent study utilized different rounds of National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data. Trend analysis carried out with the help of 3rd, 4th and 5th round of NFHS data. Bivariate distribution and logistic regression are used for identifying determining factors for adolescent girls’ marriage. ResultsTrend analysis result reveals the declining trend of early adolescent girls' marriage in India. However, the data reveals early girl's marriage practice is still very high. This practice is more in the states of Tripura (31%) followed by West Bengal (28%). Place of residence, wealth status, education status and mass media exposure are the main determining factors in early marriage. ConclusionMost of the states in Eastern and North-Eastern states are having high prevalence of adolescent marriage. Thus, there is an urgent need to focus on these states along with addressing socio-economic disparities. Further, there is a need of effective interventions of girl specific programmes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Balika Samridhi yojana etc. working for empowerment and wellbeing of adolescent girls.