Demographic and social-economic factors that influence teenage pregnancy in high fertility areas in Uganda: A case study of Eastern Uganda

Abstract

This study set out to establish the Demographic and socio-economic factors that influence teenage pregnancy in high fertility areas in Uganda with the case study of Eastern Uganda. The study used secondary data collected by Uganda Bureau of Statistics and Macro International Inc in 2004. The study is presented in five chapters. The background to the study, problem statement, objectives, hypotheses, scope, and conceptual frame work are presented in chapter one. Literature review is presented in chapter two, chapter three deals with methodology of the data collection and analysis. Chapter four discusses the background characteristics of the respondents, the impact of the demographic and socio-economic factors on teenage pregnancy which indicates (brings out) the association between the independent and dependent variables. Summary of the findings, Conclusion, and recommendations are presented in chapter five. Analysis was based on 389 cases from Eastern Uganda. All respondents were female teenagers aged 13 to 19 years. The data was analysed at univariate, bivariate, and multivariate. The residence, sexual violence, work status, and religion had no significant association with teenage pregnancy. At multivariate level of analysis, logistic regression model was used. The model established that education, marital status, and use of any method of contraception had strong influence on teenage pregnancy. The study also established that the demographic and socio-economic variables operate through the intermediate variables to influence teenage pregnancy though there are variations in the degree of influence. In order to reduce teenage pregnancy, efforts should be made to promote girl-child education at all levels, laws aimed at safeguarding teenagers from early marriages, and encouraging teenagers on the possibility of consistently using modern contraception methods.