Prevalence of Teenage Pregnancy and Associated Factors in Ekumfi District

Abstract

Background: Teenage pregnancy is a fast growing public health issue with approximately eighteen million girls under the age of 20 giving birth each year (UNFPA, 2013). It is reported that more than ninety percent of these births occur in low and middle-income countries (UNFPA, 2013) in Africa, South Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean (WHO, 2014). In Ghana, the rates of teenage pregnancy is high. Of all births registered in the country in 2014, 30% were by teenage girls with 14% of this figure comprising of adolescent girls aged between 15 and 19 years (GHS, 2014). Ekumfi district teenage pregnancy rate among ANC registrants have been 16.4%, 18.5%, 18% and 16.4% for the years 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 respectively (DHIMS, 2019). Early marriages either arranged, pushed by parents, or due to circumstances surrounding teenagers are profound contributors to increased teenage pregnancy prevalence (UNFPA, 2019). Objective: To determine the prevalence of teenage pregnancy and its associated factors in Ekumfi District. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study design with quantitative methods was used to conduct the study. Multi-stage sampling method data was employed to select 368 teenagers. Data was analysed with STATA 16.0 with chi square multiple logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with teenage pregnancy in Ekumfi. Statistical significance was set at p< 0.05. Results: Current prevalence of teenage pregnancy in Ekumfi stands at 15.8%. Age (aOR = 2.56; 95% CI = 1.72 – 3.80; p < 0.001) and residing with relative(s) (aOR = 8.78; 95% CI = 1.27 – 60.62; p = 0.028) were significant predictors of teenage pregnancy in Ekumfi. Conclusion: Rate of teenage pregnancy in Ekumfi stands at 15.8% with increasing age and residing with relatives affecting prevalence. Policy makers are encouraged to intensify education on sex, contraception and teenage pregnancy among teenagers in Ekumfi.