Contextual Determinants of Adolescent Pregnancy in Urban Slum Areas of Nigeria: A Multilevel Analysis

Akanni I. Akinyemi , Harvard School of Public Health
Erinfolami Temitope, Obafemi Awolowo University
Shah Iqbal, World Health Organization (WHO)

In Nigeria, about one-fifth of adolescent girls have already begun childbearing. We investigate contextual determinants of the pregnancy experiences of childbearing adolescents in selected slum areas in Nigeria. The desire for first pregnancy increases with age-at-first-marriage [OR:1.23 CI:1.01, 1.49] and among Muslims [OR:1.47 CI:1.01,2.13], while never-married [OR:0.20 CI: 0.13, 0.31] or having at least one older sibling who had a birth at teenage [OR:0.58 CI:0.37, 0.91] significantly reduces the likelihood of desire for the first pregnancy during adolescence. Also, having only mother alive reduces the likelihood of seeking antenatal services [OR:0.70 CI: 0.52, 0.96] while the loss of both parents reduces antenatal attendance [OR: 0.46 CI: 0.32, 0.67]. Older age at first pregnancy significantly increases the chances of benefiting from support networks [OR: 2.15 I:-1.04, 4.45]. Communities with majority of Muslims [OR:3.87-CI:1.34, 11.18] significantly more likely to experience financial vulnerability. Program aimed at improving the lives of childbearing adolescents should involve family and community.

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 Presented in Session 2. Children & Youth