Sociodemographic Characteristics Influencing Pregnancy in Adolescence

Abstract

 

Introduction: Pregnancy in adolescence is an alarming health problem worldwide, due to the complications and risks that it implies for both the mother and the child, as well as its social repercussion. Knowledge of the factors affecting the appearance of pregnancy in adolescence allows the design of educational intervention and prevention strategies.

Objective: To describe the sociodemographic characteristics that influence pregnancy in adolescence.

Methods: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed in pregnant adolescents from November 7 Teaching Polyclinic in Majibacoa municipality, Las Tunas, during 2020. The universe consisted of 34 pregnant adolescents and the study team worked with all of them. The variables analyzed were maternal age, sociodemographic characteristics, family, social and economic risk factors, and school desertion.

Results: 55.9% of pregnant women were between 18 and 19 years old. 47% had a pre-university education level, 52.9% were students; 67.6% were in an occasional union and most of them had their first sexual relationship after the age of 14 (58.8%). 32.4% of the pregnant adolescents were the daughters of mothers who had some pregnancy in their adolescence. Low family per capita was observed with greater preponderance as a socioeconomic risk factor (43.8%). 58.8% dropped off school.

Conclusions: The early start of sexual relations, the history of mothers with teenage pregnancies, low family per capita are aspects that favor the appearance of pregnancy in adolescence, which in most cases ends with abandonment studies.