Teen Pregnancy Prevention Research Articles

“Sex Out of Boredom”: Key Stakeholders’ Perspectives on Teen Pregnancy Prevention in Emerging Immigrant Latino Rural Communities

Abstract Introduction Teen pregnancy (TP) rates are 1.5 times higher among Latina youth than the United States national average and one-third times higher in rural counties. The Socio-Ecological framework recognizes the myriad of issues that impact TP, including four bidirectional levels of influence on teenagers’ behaviors: macro, community, institutional, and interpersonal levels. We aim to fill critical knowledge gaps regarding the influence of key community stakeholders living in rural, Latino-majority communities shaping Latino/a, immigrant adolescents’ TP-related environments. Methods A purposive sample of 48 key stakeholders was drawn from three rural counties (Finney, Ford, and Seward) in southwestern Kansas from 2016 to 2017; participants completed a brief demographic survey and a semi-structured qualitative interview. Qualitative data analysis followed grounded theory within a Socio-Ecological framework, and we used descriptive statistics to analyze survey data. Results Respondents (N = 48) included 5 public health department staff, 8 community health workers, 8 healthcare workers, 9 community members, and 18 high school/college administrators. The mean age was 43 years (SD = 15.5) and 50% self-identified as Latino/a. Recommendations included developing TP prevention education programs for parents, utilizing ongoing events and familiar venues, and keeping content consistent with local culture and norms. Conclusions Key stakeholders’ perceptions regarding TP are often unaccounted for but play a role in shaping youth’s decision-making environments. Policy Implications This information could inform the development of culturally specific TP prevention interventions, especially considering the controversial politics centered on immigration to the U.S. and its negative impact on the overall health of Immigrant Latinos living in the U.S.

Utilizing social determinants of health to identify most vulnerable neighborhoods–Latent class analysis and GIS map

ObjectivesPublic Health officials are often challenged to effectively allocate limited resources. Social determinants of health (SDOH) may cluster in areas to cause unique profiles related to various adverse life events. The authors use the framework of unintended teen pregnancies to illustrate how to identify the most vulnerable neighborhoods. MethodsThis study used data from the U.S. American Community Survey, Princeton Eviction Lab, and Connecticut Office of Vital Records. Census tracts are small statistical subdivisions of a county. Latent class analysis (LCA) was employed to separate the 832 Connecticut census tracts into four distinct latent classes based on SDOH, and GIS mapping was utilized to visualize the distribution of the most vulnerable neighborhoods. GEE Poisson regression model was used to assess whether latent classes were related to the outcome. Data were analyzed in May 2021. ResultsLCA's results showed that class 1 (non-minority non-disadvantaged tracts) had the least diversity and lowest poverty of the four classes. Compared to class 1, class 2 (minority non-disadvantaged tracts) had more households with no health insurance and with single parents; and class 3 (non-minority disadvantaged tracts) had more households with no vehicle available, that had moved from another place in the past year, were low income, and living in renter-occupied housing. Class 4 (minority disadvantaged tracts) had the lowest socioeconomic characteristics. ConclusionsLCA can identify unique profiles for neighborhoods vulnerable to adverse events, setting up the potential for differential intervention strategies for communities with varying risk profiles. Our approach may be generalizable to other areas or other programs. Key messagesWhat is already known on this topicPublic health practitioners struggle to develop interventions that are universally effective. The teen birth rates vary tremendously by race and ethnicity. Unplanned teen pregnancy rates are related to multiple social determinants and behaviors. Latent class analysis has been applied successfully to address public health problems.What this study addsWhile it is the pregnancy that is not planned rather than the birth, access to pregnancy intention data is not available resulting in a dependency on teen birth data for developing public health strategies. Using teen birth rates to identify at-risk neighborhoods will not directly represent the teens at risk for pregnancy but rather those who delivered a live birth. Since teen birth rates often fluctuate due to small numbers, especially for small neighborhoods, LCA may avoid some of the limitations associated with direct rate comparisons. The authors illustrate how practitioners can use publicly available SDOH from the Census Bureau to identify distinct SDOH profiles for teen births at the census tract level.How this study might affect research, practice or policyThese profiles of classes that are at heightened risk potentially can be used to tailor intervention plans for reducing unintended teen pregnancy. The approach may be adapted to other programs and other states to prioritize the allocation of limited resources.

Epidemiologic Look at Teen Birth [ID 2683394

INTRODUCTION: To take an epidemiologic look at the most up-to-date geographical variation in the average teenage birth rates by county in the United States. METHODS: Data from the National Center for Health Statistics were used in this retrospective cohort to count the total number of live births to females aged 15–19 years by county between 2003 and 2020. Software for disease surveillance and spatial cluster analysis was used to identify clusters of high or low birth rates in counties or areas of greater than 100,000 teenage females. The data were then further analyzed by unemployment rate, no high school diploma rate, Hispanic rate, African American rate, and poverty rate per county as influence on the prediction of teenage birth rate. RESULTS: Spatial analysis identified 94 significant spatial clusters of teenage births. When adjusted for time and space, there were three significant clusters within Texas, all within 2013–2020, showing a steep increase in teenage birth rates. The top cluster with a 60% higher chance of teenage birth than the remainder of the country. Individual covariates examined showed the best predicter of teenage birth is unemployment followed by low education. CONCLUSION: Nationally, teenage births have declined over the last 30 years; however, clusters of elevated teenage birth rates remain predominantly in the southeastern United States and Texas. When adjusting for covariates of social determinants of health, some of these clusters remained, indicating other factors with influence on teenage birth rate.

How to decrease teenage pregnancy: rural perspectives in Ecuador.

This study aimed to understand the sociocultural context of teenage pregnancy in an Ecuadorian city with a large indigenous population, to gauge the acceptability of a multifaceted pregnancy prevention program for adolescents, and to elicit perspectives on the optimal program design from adolescents and adult key informants. We ascertained qualitative data via an online, electronic survey administered from August to September 2020. Open- and closed-ended questions elicited perspectives relating to burden of adolescent pregnancies, acceptability of pregnancy prevention programs, and optimal design of future programs. Twenty-four adolescents (13-19 years of age) and 15 adult key informants working in the healthcare, business, and education sectors in Cotacachi completed the survey. Survey responses were analyzed using a structural and in vivo coding, and an inductive approach to consensus-building around key themes. Most adolescent survey respondents (75%) believed that teen pregnancy is "fairly common" in Cotacachi, and 41.7% believed differences in teen pregnancy rates are not associated with ethnicity. In comparison, 66.7% of adult survey respondents said teen pregnancy disproportionately occurs among indigenous teenagers. Additionally, 45.8% of adolescent and 80% of adult survey respondents believed that a comprehensive sexual education program would help reduce teenage pregnancy rates by imparting reliable sexual health knowledge. Adult respondents noted that the past programs were unsuccessful in preventing teenage pregnancy because of these programs' inability to fully engage teenagers' attention, very short time duration, or inappropriate consideration of cultural context. In Cotacachi, Ecuador, a sexual health education program is both desired and feasible according to adult and teenager key informants. A successful program must adapt to the cultural context and engage youth participation and attention.

Trends in teenage pregnancy rates: A decade-long retrospective analysis

Trends in teenage pregnancy rates: A decade-long retrospective analysis

Evaluating Contraception Counseling and Desire for Immediate Postpartum Long-Acting Contraception in Publicly Insured Adolescents [ID 2683512

INTRODUCTION: Adolescent pregnancy is associated with a high prevalence of short interval birth and unplanned pregnancy, along with other risks. Immediate postpartum long-acting reversible contraception (IPP LARC) has the potential to improve these outcomes. This study aimed to examine the presence of counseling, desire, and obtainment of IPP LARC during hospitalization. METHODS: This retrospective cohort analysis used electronic health records to capture demographics, pregnancy details, and contraceptive discussions and plans for pregnant patients admitted for delivery in one East Tennessee hospital. Exclusion criteria included those with private insurance or received permanent sterilization during hospitalization. Adolescence was defined as age less than 20 years at the time of delivery. Data were extracted from March 2018 to June 2023. Chi-squared tests were conducted in SPSS. RESULTS: 10,492 patients that met inclusion criteria delivered between March 2018 and June 2023. Of these, 10.8% (n=1,128) were adolescents. Desire for IPP LARC upon admission was higher among adolescents (31.6% versus 25.1%; P<.001). IPP LARC placement was significantly higher among adolescents (overall, 24.0% [n=2,523]; adolescents, 27.5%, versus age 20 and older, 23.6%; P=.005). Adolescents who self-reported receiving contraceptive counseling during prenatal care were more likely to receive IPP LARC (66.5% versus 42.4%; P<.001). CONCLUSION: In this study, prenatal contraception counseling increased patient obtainment of desired postpartum contraceptive plan, including IPP LARC. Adolescents both desired and obtained IPP LARC more frequently than their older counterparts. Improved contraceptive counseling and access to all contraceptive options, including IPP LARC, may improve teen pregnancy and birth rates.

Developing application software to quickly detect the adolescent's risky behaviour to prevent teen pregnancy.

To develop a software application for early detection of adolescent's risky behaviour, and promotion of safe reproductive health. The multi-stage study was conducted from September 20, 2018, to April 3, 2019, at Rumbai District Pekanbaru, Riau-Indonesia. The planned software application was developed using the waterfall design model which is a sequential process. Every progress was acknowledged to be flowing downwards, like a waterfall, by going through the phases of requirements, design, implementation, verification and maintenance. The application software was pilot-tested on a group of adolescents after it was first tested for validity. The adolescents were given a questionnaire at baseline and 2 weeks after the intervention to assess the application's effectiveness. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 21. Validation of the tool was confirmed by Aiken's V values >0.85, with sensitivity 84.8% and specificity 75%. Of the 45 adolescents tested, majority respondens were girls 38(84,4%), early adolescent 18(40%), middle adolescent 16(35,5%) and late adolescent 11(24,4%). About 5(11.1%) were found to be positive, and 28(62.2%)were truly positive, while 3(6.7%) were found negative and 9(20%) were truly negative. There was a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test assessments (p=0.0001). The application proved to be effective for the early detection of risky behaviour, and for the promotion of safe reproductive health.

Revisión sobre el embarazo adolescente e implicancias sociales

This study reviews the social implications of teenage pregnancy and identifies the factors that contribute to its incidence among adolescents aged ten to nineteen in Latin America. The review follows the PRISMA guidelines for conducting a literature review. The article search was conducted in PubMed, using keywords related to teenage pregnancy, causes, and prevention. A total of 411 articles were identified, of which 20 met the inclusion criteria: studies based in Latin America, published since 2010, and focused on the prevention of teenage pregnancy. The main results show that the lack of sexual education and ignorance about contraceptive methods are key factors in the incidence of teenage pregnancy. Socioeconomic factors such as poverty and inequality also play a significant role. Domestic violence and the early onset of sexual activity are other critical factors. Additionally, the lack of access to health services and adequate education is highlighted. Teenage pregnancy is a biopsychosocial problem with serious repercussions. It is necessary to improve sexual education and access to contraceptives to prevent teenage pregnancy. Interventions should be intersectoral, involving the family, community, educational system, and health professionals. Only through coordinated action can the incidence of teenage pregnancy be effectively reduced and its negative consequences on the health and socioeconomic development of adolescents be mitigated.

When everyone’s doing it: The relative effects of geographical context and social determinants of health on teen birth rates

Geographic disparities in teen birth rates in the U.S. persist, despite overall reductions over the last two decades. Research suggests these disparities might be driven by spatial variations in social determinants of health (SDOH). An alternative view is that “place” or “geographical context” affects teen birth rates so that they would remain uneven across the U.S. even if all SDOH were constant. We use multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) to quantify the relative effects of geographical context, independent of SDOH, on county-level teen birth rates across the U.S. Findings indicate that even if all counties had identical compositions with respect to SDOH, strong geographic disparities in teen birth rates would still persist. Additionally, local parameter estimates show the relationships between several components of SDOH and teen birth rates vary over space in both direction and magnitude, confirming that global regression techniques commonly employed to examine these relationships likely obscure meaningful contextual differences in these relationships. Findings from this analysis suggest that reducing geographic disparities in teen birth rates will require not only ameliorating differences in SDOH across counties but also combating community norms that contribute to high rates of teen birth, particularly in the southern U.S. Further, the results suggest that if geographical context is not incorporated into models of SDOH, the effects of such determinants may be interpreted incorrectly.

Implementation of coaching methods to decrease the parenting stress levels among teenage mothers in Indonesia: A quasi-experimental study.

The high rate of early marriage, teenage pregnancy, and teenage mothers increases the prevalence of emotional and mental disorders, depression, parenting stress, and child stunting. Parenting coaching is among the effective ways to overcome parenting stress and improve parents' knowledge, skills, and behaviors, thereby avoiding child stunting. However, studies on parenting coaching are not widely conducted, particularly in Indonesia. This study aimed to present the current status of parenting stress among teenage mothers and assess whether parenting coaching effectively reduces parenting stress among teenage mothers. A quasi-experimental design was used. The participants were randomly selected into two groups: the intervention group receiving parenting coaching intervention and the control group receiving standard education using a leaflet. Data were collected in June 2021 in Takalar Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Statistical Program for Social Science version 21 (Armonk, NY, USA) was employed for all statistical analyses. The parenting coaching intervention had a significant effect on parenting stress (p <0.001), with significant positive changes in knowledge, attitude (p <0.001), behavior (p <0.001), self-efficacy (p <0.001), and maternal function (p <0.001). Additionally, a significant difference in the achievement of z-score values was observed between the intervention and control groups based on Body Weight/Age (BW/A) (p <0.001) and Body Length/Age (BL/A) (p <0.001). However, Body Weight/Body Length (BW/BL) did not show a significant difference in the achievement of z-score (p = 0.34) in the third month. Parenting coaching can reduce parenting stress among teenage mothers and improve their knowledge, attitudes, behavior, self-efficacy, and maternal function; hence, this intervention can be used as a reference in the nursing process to reduce parenting stress and prevent child stunting.

Factors Associated with Teenage Pregnancy in Mutasa District, Zimbabwe

Teenage pregnancies are a global problem mainly in marginalised communities resulting in complications, societal rejection and deaths. In Zimbabwe, 48% of the teenage pregnancies occurred between 13-19 years. Mutasa District, one of the Districts in Zimbabwe has high rate of teenage pregnancies. Teenage abortions rose from 3/1000 in 2018 to 5/1000 in 2019. We conducted a study on the factors associated with teenage pregnancies in Mutasa District in the year 2018 and 2019. The specific objectives were to determine the prevalence of teenage pregnancies, to determine the sociocultural, economic and religious factors influencing teenage pregnancies and to assess the availability and utilisation of Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Services. A multi-methods+ study design was used with a sample size of 80 cases and 80 controls from four hospitals in Mutasa. Systematic sampling was employed where every &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;3&amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;rd&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt; &amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;subject was systematically selected upon satisfaction of the inclusion criteria, with sampling interval observed. A quantitative survey and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were used to collect data. The results showed that 72 (90%) of the cases only had primary school education. Being single orphans 60 (75%), having information and education gaps 77 (96.3%), being chased off home to go to the male partner 49 (61.3%) were the prevalent factors linked to teenage pregnancies. Having been disciplined when found with contraceptives led to 41 (51.3%) of the pregnancies. Having the boyfriend as a source of livelihood allowances contributed to 59 (73.8%) of teenage pregnancies while being a member of an Apostolic Sect contributed 65 (82.3%) of the cases. The FGDs revealed that the Youth Friendly Centres were inadequate for the community, poorly resourced having no comprehensive preventive services and therefore poorly utilised. In addition, teenage pregnancy preventions were stereotyped to females only with current interventions being predominantly reactionary than preventive. The findings of this study suggest the need for reproductive health information, gender inclusive programming, and provision of a sundry of well-resourced Youth Friendly Centres in the District and a focus on tailor-made preventive interventions rather than punitive ones.

Status of Healthy Choices, Attitudes and Health Education of Children and Young People in Romania—A Literature Review

Background and Objectives: This study aims to assess the health status and factors influencing healthy choices among children and young people in Romania, as well as the efficacy of related health education programs. Through understanding these dynamics, the study seeks to provide insights that can shape targeted interventions, policies, and educational strategies to improve this demographic’s overall health and well-being. Materials and Methods: For this study, we performed a literature review of original published papers on the health status, healthy habits, health education, predisposition to making healthy choices in the future, and accessibility to the paediatric health system of Romanian children and young people, as well as the effects of different types of educational interventions on this demographic in Romania. Results: The prevalence of dental caries is high in Romania. In terms of eating habits and nutritional status, a worrying proportion of children are overweight or obese, which can lead to a variety of future physical and psychological problems. In terms of physical activity, few adolescents demonstrate regular fitness practices. Romania presents an increase in alcohol and tobacco consumption among adolescents. The mental health of students has become a pressing public health concern, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of social networks is linked to mental health issues among young people. Romania still has one of the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases and faces a high incidence of cervical cancer, with a mortality rate three times higher than the EU average. High rates of teenage pregnancies are linked to limited information about sexuality and a lack of access to family planning at a young age. There are large discrepancies in the accessibility of medical services between urban and rural areas. Conclusions: Romania faces significant obstacles to providing high-quality healthcare to children and young people. Improving nutrition, immunisation rates, and access to medical services represent essential areas for enhancing the health of children and young people in Romania.

Access to adolescent sexual and reproductive health services in Accra, Ghana: An exploratory qualitative study

ABSTRACT Nearly 31% of the Ghanaian population are adolescents, and these populations persistently face high rates of teenage pregnancies and unsafe abortions. This is despite sexual and reproductive health (SRH) being taught in the school curriculum. In this qualitative study, we explore the factors affecting adolescents’ access to, and experiences of, SRH services in Accra, Ghana. We conducted 12 focus group discussions (FGDs) with adolescents and 13 key informant interviews (KIs) in Ghana. The FGDs were conducted with school-going and out-of-school adolescents. KIIs were conducted with various stakeholders working with adolescents or in SRH services. All interviews were conducted in English, audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. We applied the Dahlgren-Whitehead Rainbow model of health determinants and used a thematic analysis. Eight themes were identified, across micro, meso and macro levels, that influence adolescents’ SRH access and experience in Accra. These included: family, social networks, the role of schools, health providers and services, the policy landscape, gender norms, cultural norms, and poverty. The findings highlight several factors that influence adolescents’ access to appropriate SRH services in this context and demonstrate the need for a multisectoral effort to address structural factors such as harmful gender norms and persistent poverty.

What do they Know: Adolescents' Discernment on Pornography

The proliferation of the internet has sparked concerns among educators and advocates for gender equality that pornography is becoming both more severe and more accessible. The study described the perception of students from private and public schools concerning pornography. The study also determined the values of students from private and public schools about pornography. This study used descriptive method and surveyed a total of 289 students both from public and private schools. Based on the data, the researchers concluded that pornographic media did not encourage students to engage in such sexual practices. Hence, the students were not embarrassed while seeing sexual videos. The researchers also determined that the students did not enjoy watching pornography with their partner, as perceived by their values, and that they were not ashamed to disclose that they do so. As the majority of high school students were adolescents, it is suggested that parents, guardians, and teachers of both public and private schools monitor and educate students to prevent teenage pregnancy. Students, parents, guardians, and educators should be informed on this topic in order to raise their awareness. Since the sample size is insufficient to represent the high school student population as a whole, additional research should be conducted.

Obstetric outcomes of teenage pregnancies: A record-based study in a rural hospital of North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal

Background: Teenage pregnancy is a pregnancy in a woman within 10–19 years of age groups. It results from a number of factors such as early age at marriage, illiteracy, poverty, premarital sex, lack of awareness, and access to contraception. Teenage pregnancy imposes serious social and medical implications relating to both maternal and child health. It is a worldwide public health problem in both developed and developing countries. Aims and Objectives: The study was conducted in a rural hospital of North 24 Parganas in West Bengal. The primary objective was to compare different maternal and perinatal outcomes of teenage primigravida mothers with those of adult primigravida mothers. The secondary objective was to assess the association between various sociodemographic factors on the prevalence of teenage pregnancy. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional hospital record-based study includes a sample of 78 study subjects each in cases and comparison group. Records were taken from June 2019 to December 2019. Results: Of a total of 379 labor room admissions during the study period, 86 (22.69%) were of the teenage group and 8 cases were excluded from the study. A total of 78 teenage pregnancies were analyzed and compared with 78 adult pregnancies. The mean (standard deviation) age of teenage in our study was 18.10±0.63 and that of the comparison group was 22.74±1.68 years. Results revealed that teenage mothers had a statistically higher proportion of anemia (OR=2.30, P=0.05) and low-birth-weight babies (OR: 3.6, P=0.05) compared to adult-primigravida mothers, respectively. Conclusion: Teenage pregnancy is still a rampant and important public health problem in India with unfavorable perinatal outcomes and needs to be tackled on a priority basis.

Reproductive Justice as an Alternative to the Pregnancy Planning Paradigm for Teens

In this critical commentary, we describe the many limitations of the pregnancy planning paradigm as applied to pregnant and parenting teens. We describe how this paradigm, in characterizing pregnancies as intended or unintended, has shaped campaigns to prevent teen pregnancy and remains largely embedded in formal sex education and family planning programs in the United States. We argue that a paradigm shift is long overdue and describe how the reproductive justice framework addresses the limitations of the pregnancy planning paradigm. Although reproductive justice is endorsed by a growing number of organizations, recommended policies face formidable obstacles given that comprehensive sex education, contraception, and legal abortion are increasingly at risk in a post-Dobbs world.

Discovery of Knowledge and Perception among the Indigenous People Related to Teenage Pregnancy and Sexual Education

This study examined the knowledge and perceptions of sexual education and teenage pregnancy among Indigenous people in Pekan, Malaysia. The research aimed to address the high rates of teenage pregnancy, particularly among unmarried teenagers, in the country. Through qualitative methods, including semistructured interviews with Indigenous participants, several themes emerged. These themes included the sources of sexual education, such as formal and informal channels, first sexual experiences, safe-sex beliefs, and the importance of sexual education for children. The study also explored perceptions of teenage pregnancy, identifying factors like young marriage and premarital dating. Participants shared their views on premarital motherhood among those under 20 years old, as well as the acceptance and responses of parents and the responsibility of the baby’s father. The study highlighted the complications of teenage pregnancy for both the baby and mother. The findings revealed a lack of sexual education knowledge among Indigenous participants, attributed to limited access to facilities like mobile phones and limited interaction with outsiders. The study recommends further research and the dissemination of awareness and knowledge about sexual education, particularly through campaigns and outreach efforts to Indigenous communities, while also emphasise the need to review the effectiveness of these initiatives.

Perceptions of community health workers on teenage pregnancy in rural Limpopo: A qualitative study.

Despite measures put in place to combat teenage pregnancy, the rate remains high. Community health workers (CHWs) are a cadre of health workers that can help put measures in place to reduce teenage pregnancy in the communities in which they live and work. This article aims to gain a deeper understanding of CHWs' perceptions regarding teenage pregnancy in the rural districts of Limpopo province. An exploratory qualitative study approach was employed to collect data from CHWs in two rural districts of Limpopo. A non-probability purposive sampling approach was used to choose 81 CHWs. Eight focus group discussions (FGDs) were organised, and audio recorded to collect data from participants. The discussions were 2-3 h long and conducted in English, and data saturation was attained by the fifth FGDs. An eight-step tech's content analysis approach was employed to deductively code, analyse and summarise data into themes. Three themes emerged: the prevalence of teenage pregnancy in rural villages, factors contributing to teenage pregnancy and challenges faced by CHWs when dealing with teenage pregnancy. The study's findings revealed that CHWs face challenges in their communities when offering appropriate teen pregnancy services and CHWs believe that teen pregnancy numbers remain high. There is a significant barrier in combating teenage pregnancy; if contraceptives are not acceptable to the community, the only solution and option for combating teenage pregnancy is abstinence.Contribution:The CHWs presented their insights of teenage pregnancy in rural communities. The outcomes of this study could help clinical practise, schools, communities, youth-friendly services, policymakers and other non-governmental organisations reduce teenage pregnancy.

Does extending school time reduce the juvenile pregnancy rate? A longitudinal analysis of Ceará State (Brazil)

PurposeAdolescent pregnancy stands as a societal challenge, compelling young individuals to prematurely discontinue their education. Conversely, an expansion of high school education can potentially diminish rates of adolescent pregnancy, given that educational attainment stands as the foremost risk factor influencing sexual initiation, the use of contraceptive methods during initial sexual encounters and fertility. The aim of this paper is to analyze the impact of the implementation of the public educational policy introducing full-time schools (FTS) for high schools in the state of Ceará, Brazil, on early pregnancy rates.Design/methodology/approachUsing the difference-in-differences method with multiple time periods, we measured the average effect of this staggered treatment on the treated municipalities.FindingsThe main result indicates a reduction of 0.849 percentage points in the teenage pregnancy rate. Concerning dynamic effects, the establishment of FTS in treated municipalities results in a 1.183–1.953 percentage point decrease in teenage pregnancy rates, depending on the timing of exposure. We explored heterogeneous effects within socioeconomically vulnerable municipalities, yet discerned no impact on this group. Rigorous tests confirm the robustness of the results.Originality/valueThis paper aims to contribute to: (1) the consolidation of research on the subject, given the absence of such research in Brazil to the best of our knowledge; (2) the advancement and analysis of evidence-based public policy and (3) the utilization of novel longitudinal data and methodology to evaluate adolescent pregnancy rates.

Analysis of Sociodemographic and Psychosocial Risk Factors for Teenage Pregnancy: A Cross-Sectional Study at The Teen Mom’s Clinic of Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center Philippines

Introduction: Teenage pregnancy is a serious public health problem in the Philippines. This study aims to analyze sociodemographic and psychosocial risk factors associated with teenage pregnancy at the Teen Mom's Clinic of Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center in the Philippines.&#x0D; Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 152 adolescents who consulted at the clinic. Data were collected through a questionnaire that asked about sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics. Univariate and bivariate statistical analyzes were used to identify risk factors associated with teenage pregnancy.&#x0D; Results: The prevalence of teenage pregnancy among consultation subjects at the clinic was 89%. Bivariate analysis showed that age, place of residence, education level, household income, source of income, parental relationship, sexual relationship, relationship status, source of information about sex, sexual experience, number of sexual partners, contraceptive use, STI information, sexual harassment, physical abuse, and verbal abuse were not significantly associated with teenage pregnancy.&#x0D; Conclusion: Sociodemographic and psychosocial risk factors do not play a significant role in teenage pregnancy in the Philippines.