ASSESSING THE RISK ASSOCIATED WITH TEENAGE PREGNANCY FROM (13-19YEARS) IN THE BUEA MUNICIPALITY

Abstract

Adolescent or teenage pregnancy remain a serious medical and social problem .the high rate of teenage childbearing among minority and disadvantaged group, documented in the United States is consistent. With lack of opportunity and socioeconomic disadvantages (Koutelekos et al 1985).

The study entitled “Assessing the Risk Associated with teenage pregnancy (13-19years) in the Molyko Community. It was a cross-sectional quantitative study aimed at assesses the risk associated with teenage pregnancy (13-19yrears) in the Molyko Community.

The sampling technique use was a convenient sampling technique which relies on data collection from a population member who was conveniently available to participate in the study, random sampling technique and stratified sampling where the population is divided in to starters and the participant was randomly selected to take part in the study.

The sampling size was made up of 200 participants and the study population was teenager’s 13-19years. A well-structured questionnaire was use to obtain information relating to the study objectives and data was analyze using Microsoft Excel 2016.

With my conclusion based on my results as per the specific objective, based on the knowledge of teenage pregnancy than 75% of the participants have not experiences teenage pregnancy will about 23 percent of more the participants have experience early birth.

Base on the risk factors and causes of teenage pregnancy, the table above shows that, 132 (66%) of participant said that teenage is cause by lack of parental care. Base on the consequences of teenage pregnancy almost 80% of the participant accepted that the respiratory distress syndrome is the consequences of teenage pregnancy.

Hence it is recommended that Cameroon authority or various municipality to enforce the law against teenage sex, sex education and the use of contraceptive.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

This chapter will be talking on the background, the Problem statement, the General objectives, Specific Objectives, the research questions, the significance of the study, the scope of study and operational definition of terms used in the chapter.

 1.1. Background of the Study

According to Lena Williams (1993) in the old 1940s to 1960s pregnant teenagers were referred to as outcast and were banished, exclude from the groups and societies by their peers or scurried out of town to give birth in secret.

Since the 1960s, teenage pregnancy has attracted a great deal of concern and attention from religious leaders, the general public, policymakers, and social scientists, particularly in the United States and other developed countries (Andrew L., et al., 2016).

Adolescent births in early America often were viewed as part of broader concerns about premarital sexual activity and out-of-wedlock births in general. By the 1980s a restriction on abortion increases the rate of pregnancy in unmarried teens who might have terminated the pregnancy also the decline level of welfare support and social service did little of nothing to discourage sexual activities among teens which continue to raise throughout the 1980s (Kassa.et al., 2018).

In the second half of the 20th century, adolescent pregnancies and teen out-of-wedlock births were seen as special challenges to American society. Teenage pregnancy has contributed to denying brilliant students education and has potential to retard their growth and development including that of their children. (Maris A., 2003).

According to (Lawlor DA et al., 2004) teenage pregnancy is a public health concern in both the developed and developing world. Teenage pregnancy constitutes a serious social health problem worldwide. The World health organization has established that each year approximately 21million girls aged 15-19 years and 2 million girls aged 15 years become pregnant in the developing country. In the same light an estimated 16 million girls 15-19 and 2 million under the age of 16 years gave birth in the developed country of the world. (Egbe et al., 2015).

In Sub-Saharan Africa, adolescent pregnancy in Africa using published and unpublished study conducted on the prevalence studies shows that 18.8% adolescent get pregnant in Africa. Prevalence was observed in East Africa Sub-Region to be 21.5%. (Kasha et al., 2018). Cameroon has one of the highest adolescent fertility rates in West and Central Africa.

According to a data collected in 2004, 22.7% of adolescent under 20years were mothers of at least one child. In Cameroon, according to (Egbe 2015) Central hospital Yaoundé adolescent   pregnancy constitutes a public health problem in Cameroon, 12% and 9.3% of all delivery at the university teaching hospital respectively are teenage.

In Cameroon, the prevalence of teenage pregnancy is 40% to 50% (District Health Survey Statistics 2009). In the south west region of Cameroon, the prevalence of teen pregnancy in the research carried out in Buea Health District is 13.32% (Halle-Ekane 2015).

1.2 Problem Statement

Teenage pregnancy remains an important and complex issue around the world .This is attributed to the numerous health consequences such as pregnancy related illnesses, high infant mortality rate, low birth weight babies, maternal mortality and exposure to sexually transmitted diseases (Dangal., 2005 )

During my practical experience teenage girls have been having complications before and after delivery like high blood pressure, infections (Urinary tract infections and sexual transmitted infections), delivery of low birth weight babies and cesarean deliveries which lead them to remain in the hospital even after treatment pending bills.

It  was also oberreved two girls in the community where I live 14 and 15 years of age got pregnant and were rejected by their parents and send to live with their husbands.  One of the girls did even know the boy that got her pregnant while the other girl the boy ran away after hearing the news of her pregnancy.

These girls have to suffer from shame, rejection from their parent and even struggled with the pregnancy despite their age coupled with the fact that they can’t even take care of themselves not to talk of taking care of their pregnancies. With this problem its deemed necessary to come out with this research topic assessing the risk associated with teenage pregnancy (13-19years) in the Molyko Community, Buea Southwest Region.

1.2 Objectives of the Study

1.2.1 General objective

To assess the risk associated with teenage pregnancy (13-19years) in the Molyko community.

 1.2.2 Specific Objectives

1. To assess knowledge of teenagers on teenage pregnancy in the Molyko community.
2. To evaluate their knowledge on the risks and causes of teenage pregnancy in the Molyko Community.
3. To determine their knowledge on the consequences of teenage pregnancy in Molyko community.

1.4 Research Question

1. What knowledge do teenagers have on teenage pregnancy?
2. Are teenagers aware on the risks factors and causes of teenage pregnancy?
3. What are the consequences of teenage pregnancy?