Research Journal of Medical Sciences

Year: 2012
Volume: 6
Issue: 5
Page No. 251 - 260

Health and Social Problems of Teenage Pregnancy and Future Childbearing in Amassoma Community, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Authors : Adeyanju Awoniyi Babafemi and Afolayan Joel Adeleke

Abstract: This study examined the health and social problems of teenage pregnancy and future childbearing in Amassoma community. Three hundred pregnant and breastfeeding teenagers (150 pregnant teenager and 150 breastfeeding teenage mothers) whose ages averaged 15.36 years participated in the study. The study is aimed at exploring the health and social problems of teenage pregnancy and future childbearing. A descriptive study designed with self-structured interview guide and observations were used for the purpose of data collection and analysis. The result indicated the pregnant teenagers and breastfeeding teenage mothers complained of high poverty rate, misconception about contraceptives use, sexual harassments, ignorance, low education, marital instability, early marriage, sexual abuse, modernization, religion, culture among other things as causes while medical problems reported include poor eating habits, difficulty in child birth, anaemia, depression, threatened abortion, premature delivery, vesico virginal fistula, high blood pressure, maternal and child mortality and haemorrage. Furthermore low level of education, unstable marriage, poverty, financial dependency, neglect, lack of job skills are among the social problems as well as health outcomes of teenage pregnancy. It was found that pregnant teenagers/breastfeeding teenagers who married received good psycho-social support and good health than single/divorced pregnant/breastfeeding teenage mothers. The result also showed that health education significantly influenced their knowledge about contraceptives. Similarly, breastfeeding teenage mothers who had good psycho-social support and better health status were more than pregnant teenagers without psycho-social support hence poor health. It was also deduced that the health status of the pregnant teenagers and breastfeeding teenage mothers are related to age, hence as the teenagers get older, their health get improved and there is reduction in pregnancy complication. It was revealed that the pregnant teenagers and breastfeeding teenage mothers’ accessibility to nursing care and health care facility enhanced their health status. Furthermore, it was revealed that a proportion of pregnant teenagers/breastfeeding teenage mothers in low socio-economic status spent higher proportion of their live in poor health with little economic support from the household. Similarly, health education significantly enhanced pregnant teenagers’ level of coping with the stress of teenage pregnancy.

How to cite this article:

Adeyanju Awoniyi Babafemi and Afolayan Joel Adeleke, 2012. Health and Social Problems of Teenage Pregnancy and Future Childbearing in Amassoma Community, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Research Journal of Medical Sciences, 6: 251-260.

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