DOI: 10.14260/jemds/2014/1940
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
A STUDY OF SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY AT
A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE
Gazala Yasmin1, Aruna Kumar2, Bharti Parihar3
HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE:
Gazala Yasmin, Aruna Kumar, Bharti Parihar. “A Study of Sociodemographic Factors of Teenage Pregnancy at a
Tertiary Care Centre”. Journal of Evolution of Medical and Dental Sciences 2014; Vol. 3, Issue 04, January 27;
Page: 1020-1025, DOI: 10.14260/jemds/2014/1940
ABSTRACT: AIM: This study aimed to find out the incidence of teenage pregnancy and to analyze the
sociodemographic factors of teenage pregnancies. METHOD: A Hospital based prospective study of
all teenage pregnant females admitted to Sultania Zanana Hospital, Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal.
Data was collected by detailed history taking and following up the patient from admission till delivery
by using a proforma devised for the study. RESULT: Teenage pregnancy comprised 5.10% of the total
Obstetric admissions. Approximately 98% of them were in the age group of 18-19. The average age at
menarche was 12.89 and the average age at marriage was 17.55. In this study 81% teenage mothers
were uneducated, 97% were unemployed and 88.69% were staying in joint families. The antenatal
care taken by the teenage mothers were inadequate. Only 16% of the teenage mothers were booked
with the majority being unbooked. 83% had taken Iron-Folic acid Tablets and 88.1% were
immunized with tetanus toxoid. CONCLUSION: Teenage pregnancy is still a common occurrence in
India. Early menarche, early age at marriage, low education, unemployment, joint family structure,
lack of antenatal care has adverse impact on the health of teenage mothers leading to various adverse
maternal and fetal outcome.
KEYWORDS: Teenage pregnancy, Sociodemographic factors, Prospective Study.
INTRODUCTION: Teenage pregnancies, the term teenage encompassing conceptions by girls aged 19
or younger, are a worldwide phenomenon. Teenage pregnancy is a worldwide problem bearing
serious social and medical implications relating to maternal and child health, especially in the context
of developing countries. Teenage pregnancies are listed among one of the most important public
health problems of the 21st century1.
WHO report 2005 shows that one woman die of pregnancy and childbirth related
complications every minute, i.e. more than half a million every year2. When girls become mothers
before they are physically and emotionally ready, the results are even more tragic. Teenage
pregnancy is a public health concern both in developed and developing world. According to UNICEF
and the Alan Guttmacher Institute more than 10% of all births worldwide occur to teenage mothers.
Globally 15 million women under the age of 19 give birth, representing up to one-fifth of all births1.
Several authors pointed out that adverse pregnancy outcomes described for teenage mothers
are not causally related to the age of the mothers, but to social factors which are associated with
teenage pregnancies1. According to this view teenage pregnancies are to be seen as a social rather
than a biological and medical problem. The impact of an adverse social and economic environment on
pregnancy outcome among teenage mothers remains undisputed but this cannot be used as an
argument to deny that pregnancy during teenage are also problematic from a biological, social and a
medical perspective.
Journal of Evolution of Medical and Dental Sciences/ Volume 3/ Issue 04/January 27, 2014
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DOI: 10.14260/jemds/2014/1940
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
In India, teenage pregnancy is an important public-health problem, although the national
policy of the Government of India advocates the minimum legal age of marriage for girls to be 18
years, Teenage pregnancies contribute to 19% of total fertility in India and record the highest
maternal mortality rates3. Besides maternal age, lack of education, low socio-economic status,
maternal under nutrition and limited access to maternal health services are important determinants
of poor pregnancy outcomes.
There is a need for increase in the awareness in the community about the teenage pregnancy
and the factors leading to it. While there is a growing realization of the need to promote teenage
reproductive health, work done in this field is often inadequate. Hence this study is an endeavor to
focus on teenage pregnancies from this point of view as well as to define areas where care of teenage
mothers needs improvement and strengthening.
This study aimed to find out the incidence and to analyze the sociodemographic factors of
teenage pregnancy.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This clinical prospective study was carried out from 1st February 2011
to 31st July 2012 in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sultania Zanana Hospital, Gandhi
Medical College, Bhopal. Institute ethical committee approval was taken. All pregnant females in the
age group of 13-19 years admitted to the Hospital during the study duration were included in the
study. Excluded were all the pregnant females above 19 years of age.
Relevant data was collected by detailed history taking and following up the patient from
admission till delivery by using a pre-designed form devised for the study keeping in mind the
variables affecting teenage pregnancy. Data on age, Marital status, age at marriage, age at menarche,
education, employment, booking status, religion, residential area and parity were recorded. MS Excel
was used for statistical purpose.
RESULT AND OBSERVATION: In the present study total number of obstetric admissions during the
study period was 13189. Out of these, teenage pregnancies were 672 giving an incidence of 5.10% of
teenage pregnancy.
S. NO
ADMISSIONS
NUMBER PERCENTAGE
1
Total no. of Obstetrics admissions
13189
2
Total no. of teenage pregnancies
672
5.10%
TABLE 1: TABLE SHOWING INCIDENCE OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY
AGE
NUMBER
PERCENTAGE
Less than 18years
11
1.64%
18-19 years
661
98.36%
Total
672
100%
TABLE 2: DISTRIBUTION OF CASES ACCORDING TO AGE
Youngest teenage mother in this study was 13 years old.
Journal of Evolution of Medical and Dental Sciences/ Volume 3/ Issue 04/January 27, 2014
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DOI: 10.14260/jemds/2014/1940
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
MARITAL STATUS
NUMBER
PERCENTAGE
Married
659
98.07%
Unmarried
13
1.93%
Total
672
100%
TABLE 3: DISTRIBUTION ACCORDING TO MARITAL STATUS
AGE AT MENARCHE
NUMBER
PERCENTAGE
Below 12 years
110
16.37%
13 years
520
77.38%
Above 14 years
42
6.25%
Total
672
100%
TABLE 4: DISTRIBUTION ACCORDING TO AGE AT MENARCHE
The Mean age at menarche calculated in this study was 12.89 years indicating a declining
trend of age at which girls attain menarche.
AGE AT MARRIAGE
NUMBER
PERCENTAGE
Less than 18 years
237
35.27%
18-19 years
435
64.73%
Total married teenagers
672
100%
TABLE 5: DISTRIBUTION ACCORDING TO AGE AT MARRIAGE
The legal age for marriage in India is 18 years. In spite of this law the average age of marriage
in our study was 17.55 years indicating that Indian parents are yet not following the law.
RESIDENTIAL AREA
NUMBER
PERCENTAGE
Urban
488
72.62%
Rural
184
27.38%
Total
672
100%
TABLE 6: DISTRIBUTION ACCORDING TO RESIDENTIAL AREA
RELIGION
NUMBER
PERCENTAGE
Hindu
433
64.43%
Muslim
239
35.57%
Total
672
100%
TABLE 7: DISTRIBUTION ACCORDING TO RELIGION
EDUCATION
NUMBER
PERCENTAGE
Uneducated
544
80.95%
Primary education
42
6.26%
Secondary education
73
10.86%
Higher education
13
1.93%
Total
672
100%
TABLE 8: DISTRIBUTION ACCORDING TO EDUCATIONAL STATUS
Maximum teenagers (80.95%) were uneducated indicating that less education leads teenage
marriage and teenage child bearing. Teenage marriage hinders further education leading to a vicious
cycle.
Journal of Evolution of Medical and Dental Sciences/ Volume 3/ Issue 04/January 27, 2014
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DOI: 10.14260/jemds/2014/1940
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
EMPLOYMENT
NUMBER
PERCENTAGE
Unemployed
652
97.02%
Employed
20
2.98%
Total
672
100%
TABLE 9: DISTRIBUTION ACCORDING TO EMPLOYMENT
Majority of the teenage mothers were Unemployed. Only 2.98% were employed and all of
them were laborers. Teenage pregnancy hampers further employment opportunities and makes them
economically dependent on their families.
TYPE OF FAMILY
NUMBER
PERCENTAGE
Joint family
596
88.69%
Nuclear family
76
11.31%
Total
672
100%
TABLE 10: DISTRIBUTION ACCORDING TO THE TYPE OF FAMILY
Staying in joint family affects teenage mother’s own decision making power over child
bearing. This is well illustrated in the present study as majority of Teenage mothers lived in joint
families.
PARITY
NUMBER
PERCENTAGE
Primigravida
622
92.56%
Multigravidas
50
7.44%
Total
672
100%
TABLE 11: DISTRIBUTION ACCORDING TO PARITY
TRIMESTER
NUMBER
PERCENTAGE
First trimester
61
9.08%
Third trimester
611
90.92%
Total
672
100%
TABLE 12: TRIMESTER-WISE DISTRIBUTION OF ALL TEENAGE MOTHERS
Maximum pregnant teenagers were admitted in their third trimester. None were admitted in
second trimester.
ANTENATAL CARE
NUMBER PERCENTAGE
Booked
108
16.07%
Booking Status
Unbooked
564
83.93%
Taken
558
83.04%
IFA Intake
Not Taken
114
16.96%
Immunized
592
88.10%
TT- Immunization
Unimmunized
80
11.90%
TABLE 13: ANTENATAL CARE TAKEN BY TEENAGE MOTHERS
Patients having minimum 3 antenatal visits at Sultania Zanana Hospital were considered as
booked. In the present study, majority of the teenage mothers were unbooked.
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DOI: 10.14260/jemds/2014/1940
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
DISCUSSION: In the present study 5.10% of the study population was teenage pregnancies. Similar
results have been reported by Dubashi S et al. (4.5%) and Ambedkar et al. (3.94%) 4, 5. In contrast
higher percentage of teenage pregnancy between 8% to 24% has been reported in other studies6, 7, 8.
Only 11 (1.64%) mothers were below 18 years of age which is is much less than 24% reported in the
other study4.
There were 13 (1.93%) unmarried teenagers in the present study. Mukhopadhyay P et al.
found only 2 unmarried mothers amongst 350 teenagers3. Other studies report unmarried teenage
mothers to be 3% to 5.6%4, 6.
Center for Development and Population Activities quoted that according to the Nutrition
Foundation of India, the average age at menarche among teenage girls was 13.49 whereas the present
study found it to be 12.89 indicating a declining trend at which girls attain menarche. In developing
countries like India, parents think that their daughters are ready to start reproductive life as soon as
the daughters attain menarche, which hinders all the opportunities like education, employment in
their life. Thus age at reaching menarche decides her future reproductive life.
Age at marriage is an important factor determining the age at which the first pregnancy
occurs. In India, although the legal age at marriage is 18 for females and 21 for males, early marriage
continues to be the norm. Centre for Development and Population Activities revealed that the average
age at marriage among rural teenager was 16 as compared to urban areas i.e. 18.7 whereas the
present study found it to be 17.559.
Low education leads to early marriage which in-turn hampers further education and
employment opportunities leading to a vicious cycle. In the present study majority of the teenage
mothers were uneducated (80.95%) and unemployed (97.02%). Other studies also report similar
figures10.
Type of family has its influence on decision-making, regarding contraceptive practices,
number of children and access to health services, which in turn can affect the reproductive health.
The present study revealed that 88.69% of teenage mothers lived in joint families and only 11.3%
lived in nuclear families which is similar to results of other studies3.
Effective utilization of the antenatal care services has a positive influence on the health of the
mother and child. Adolescents are more likely to enroll late for antenatal care, make fewer visits, do
not take Iron-Folic acid (IFA) tablets properly and fewer are fully immunized with tetanus toxoid
than mature women. In the present study only 16% were booked, 83% took IFA tablets and 88%
received immunization. Other study reported 68.6% of the teenage mothers were booked, 4o% took
Iron-Folic acid and only 74.29% of them received immunization3.
CONCLUSION: The present study was an attempt to throw light on different sociodemographic
characteristics relating to teenage pregnancy.
Early age at menarche, early age at marriage, low education, unemployment, economic
dependence and denial of decision making power due to joint families in India and lack of proper
antenatal care were found to have adverse impact on the health of teenage mothers leading to various
adverse maternal and fetal outcomes.
Major maternal complications associated with teenage pregnancy (like Preterm labor,
Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy, Premature Rupture of Membrane, abortion and anemia) could
Journal of Evolution of Medical and Dental Sciences/ Volume 3/ Issue 04/January 27, 2014
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DOI: 10.14260/jemds/2014/1940
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
be prevented, diagnosed and managed timely with proper antenatal visits. Early detection of these
complications, their management and good intranatal and postnatal care are essential.
Contraceptive practices needs to be promoted among married teenagers so that future
pregnancy could be delayed till they reach maturity.
Teenage pregnancy needs to be tackled as a priority to ease the burden of socioeconomic and
health problems.
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problem. Current women’s health reviews, 2009; 5, 1-7.
2. The World Health Report (2005). Make every mother and child count. WHO.
3. Mukhopadhyay P, Chaudhuri RN, Bhaskar P. Hospital based perinatal outcomes and
complications in teenage pregnancy in India. J Health Popul Nutr. 2010 October; 28(5): 494500.
4. Dubashi S, Wani R. Teenage pregnancy. Bombay Hospital journal 2008; 50(2): 236-239.
5. Ambedkar NN, Khandait DW, Zodpey SP, Kasturwar NB, Vasudeo ND. Teenage pregnancy
outcome: A record based study. Indian J Med Sci 1999; 53:14-7.
6. Bhalerao AR, Desai SV, Dastur NA, Daftary SN. Outcome of teenage pregnancy. J Postgrad
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7. Mahavarkar SH, Madhu CK, Mule VD. A Comparative study of Teenage pregnancy. J Obstet
Gynecol, 2008 Aug; 28(6):604-7.
8. Banerjee B, Pandey GK, Dutt D, Sengupta B, Mondal M, Deb S. Teenage pregnancy: A socially
inflicted health hazard. Indian J Community Med 2009; 34:227-31.
9. Centre for Development and Production Activities. Adolescent girls in India choose a better
future: an impact assessment. The Centre for Development and Population Activities 2001; pp.
1-21.
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AUTHORS:
1. Gazala Yasmin
2. Aruna Kumar
3. Bharti Parihar
PARTICULARS OF CONTRIBUTORS:
1. Resident, Department of Obstetrics and
Gynaecology, Gandhi Medical Collge, Bhopal.
2. Professor & Head, Department of Obstetrics
and Gynaecology, Gandhi Medical Collge,
Bhopal.
3. Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics
and Gynaecology, Gandhi Medical Collge,
Bhopal.
NAME ADDRESS EMAIL ID OF THE
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR:
Dr. Gazala Yasmin,
C/O. M.M.A. Khan,
House No. 2, Gali No. 1,
Behind Sultania Zanana Hospital,
Budhwara, Bhopal – 462001.
E-mail: dr.gazala_yasmin@yahoo.co.in
Date of Submission: 13/01/2014.
Date of Peer Review: 14/01/2014.
Date of Acceptance: 17/01/2014.
Date of Publishing: 25/01/2014.
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