Table of Contents
Title Page – – – – – – – – – i
Approval Page – – – – – – – – ii
Certification – – – – – – – iii
Dedication – – – – – – – – – iv
Acknowledgement – – – – – – v
Table of Contents – – – – – – vii
List of Table – – – – – – – ix
Abstract – – – – – – – – – x
CHAPTER ONE: Introduction – – – – – – 1
Background of the Study – – – – – 1
Statement of the Problem – – – – – 7
Purpose of the Study – – – – – – – – 8
Research Questions – – – – – – 8
Hypotheses – – – – – – – – – 9
Significance of the Study – – – – – 9
Scope of the Study – – – – – – 11
CHAPTER TWO: Review of Related Literature – – 12
Conceptual Framework – – – – – 12
Theoretical Framework – – – – 16
Factors Associated with Teenage Pregnancies – – 20
Family factors – – – – – – 20
Influence of mass media – – – – 22
Religious belief – – – – – 23
Ignorance/lack of information – – – – 23
Financial/Economic factors – – – 25
Empirical Studies on Teenage Pregnancies – – 26
Summary of Literature Review – – – – 32
CHAPTER THREE: Methods – – – – – – – – – 34
Research Design – – – – – 34
Population for the Study – – – – 34
Sample and Sampling Technique – – – – 35
Instrument for Data Collection – – – – 35
Validation of the Instrument – – – 35
Reliability of the Instrument – – – – 36
Method of Data Collection – – – – 36
Method of Data Analysis – – – – 37
CHAPTER FOUR: Results and Discussion – – 38
Summary of Major findings – – – – 45
Discussion of findings – – – – – – 46
CHAPTER FIVE: Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations – 52
Summary – – – – – – – – 52
Conclusion – – – – – – – 53
Recommendations – – – – – – 55
References – – – – – – – 56
Appendices – – – – – – – 65
1. Questionnaire – – – – – – 65
2. Letter of Introduction – – – – 67
3-5 Calculation of Chi-square Statistics – – – 68
List of Tables
Tables Page
- Temporal Patterns of Teenage Pregnancy 38
- Spatial Pattern of Teenage Pregnancy 39
Demographic Variations of Teenage Pregnancy 40
4 Age 40
- Educational Level 40
- Religious Denomination 41
- Associated factors of teenage pregnancy 42
- Chi-square value verifying difference between teen pregnancy and age 43
Chi-square value verifying value between teen pregnancy and educational level 44
Chi-square value verifying difference between teen pregnancy and religious denomination 45
Abstract
The study was primarily designed to identify teenage pregnancy patterns and associated factors in Igbo-Etiti LGA of Enugu State. In order to achieve this, the survey research design was used to accomplish this. The sample for the study consisted of 146 teenage girls identified within and outside secondary schools in Igbo-Etiti LGA. Four research questions were posed and three null hypotheses were postulated to guide the study. The instrument for data collection was a 22-item questionnaire titled ‘Questionnaires on Teenage Pregnancy Patterns and Associated Factors’ (QTPPAF).
For reaching valid conclusions, data from 144 respondents out of 146 respondents that duly completed the questionnaires were analyzed using percentages, frequency counts and Chi-square statistics. The hypotheses were tested at .05 level of significance. At the completion of the study, the following results were obtained:
- Teenage pregnancy according to time (temporal pattern) in Igbo-Etiti LGA is not equal. This means that the pattern over the period of study 2001-2007 varied. The highest rates of teen pregnancy in Igbo-Etiti LGA occurred in 2003 and 2005 with the lowest rate occurring in 2007.
- Teenage pregnancy according to space (spatial pattern) is equal. This means that there was an insignificant difference in the rate of teenage pregnancy between teenagers who attended mixed schools and those who attended girls’ only schools. Occurrence of teenage pregnancy according to the type of school attended is insignificant.
- (a) Teenage pregnancy according to demographic variations (age, educational level and religious denomination) indicated that teenagers between the age ranges of 16-19 years tended to have higher pregnancy rates than those under the age ranges of 13-15 years.
(b) The study also indicated that the number of teenagers who have dropped out of school due to teenage pregnancy were higher when compared with those who are still schooling.
(c) The study equally revealed that rates of pregnancies were higher in Catholics and Anglicans as against Pentecostals.
(4) The non demographic factors found to be associated with teenage pregnancies include; ignorance of safe and unsafe period of sex (39.58 %), peer group influence (26.39%), strong sexual urge (26.39%), early maturity (23.61% ), poverty (22.22), absence of sex education in schools (20.16%) (See table 6).
Based on the findings of the present study, the following recommendations were made:
- Since many of the adolescent girls dropped out of school because of teenage pregnancy, policies should be made to accommodate teenager who are still interested in continuing their educational pursuit after having their babies to do so.
- Skills acquisition centres should be established in every LGA to help adolescents who cannot complete formal education to acquire skills that will make them independent.
- Since many of the adolescents indicated ignorance of safe and unsafe period of sex as a factor in teenage pregnancy, programmes aimed at educating youths on sex and sexuality education should be introduced in to the school curricula. More counselors should be employed in schools to take care of this aspect of the curricula.
- The teaching of sex and sexual education should be made compulsory in all schools to help adolescents understand their physiological makeup.
- Religious leaders should tackle the problem of teenage unwanted pregnancies through moral instructions in churches.
- Parents should be educated through seminars on the importance of discussing sex and sexuality with their children especially the females.
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
Background to the Study
The issue of pregnancies among teenage girls seems to be one of the social problems facing not only Nigeria, but also several other nations of the world. Surveys by investigators such as Briggs (2001), Gyepi-Garbrah (1985), Onuzulike (2003) and others revealed that teenagers become sexually active at an early age with corresponding high fertility. Teenage sexual activities in Nigeria also tend to be on the increase (Nwosu, 2005, Okafor, 1997). A major consequence of these increase sexual activities among teenagers is out of wedlock pregnancies that may result in abortion, childbirth or even death.
Teenage is often used interchangeably with adolescence. World Health Organization – WHO (1997) opined that, it is the period between 10 and 19 years when the secondary sex characteristics appear. Turner and Helms (1993) reported that the teen years fall between the ages of 13 and 19 years. Views and opinions vary among authors and researchers on the specific age at which it begins or ends. Adesomowo (1988) reported that the teen years starts at either 11 or 12 years and lasts to 19 years when the character of a person takes the permanent form. According to Nwosu (2005), adolescents include all persons aged 13 to 19 years who constitute about 20 per cent of the world population. Ezeorah (1982), Melgosa (2001), and a host of others agree that the teen years span from the 13th to the 19th years of life.
Bongaart and Cohen (1998) described the teen years as a period of transition from childhood to adulthood, characterized by heightened social awareness and accelerated physical growth. This period, they opined, marks the onset of puberty and biological maturity. It is a crucial period in the life of an individual because many key social, economic and demographic events occur that set the stage for adult life. Ukekwe (2001) described it as the most important period in human life, which if not properly handled, could lead to the most disastrous consequences in later life, especially among females. Notwithstanding the varied opinions on the beginning and the end of the teen years, studies by numerous authors and researchers, as mentioned earlier indicated that the teen years span from the 13th to the 19th year of life. Based on the opinion of researchers on the specific age at which teenage begins, the present study will be based on the age limit of 13 to 19 years. Ukekwe held that teenagers are expected to grow up morally, and gradually observing the norms of the society into adulthood. On the contrary, some of these teenagers engage in pre-marital sexual activities, which expose them to the risks of abortions, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and pregnancies.