Title: Is lack of self-esteem a major determinant of teenage pregnancy in the Bahamas?

POPLINE Document Number: 107705

Author(s):

Antwi PM

Source citation:

[Unpublished] 1986 Dec. 100 p.

Abstract:

This study opens with an examination of the magnitude of the problem of adolescent pregnancy which considers the changing pattern of teenage pregnancy worldwide as well as adolescent pregnancy in the Caribbean, provides a rationale for the present study in the Bahamas, and reviews the risks and consequences of teenage pregnancy to maternal health (including psychosocial risks, repeat pregnancies, abortions, and sexually transmitted diseases) as well as to infant health (including congenital abnormalities). The objectives of the present study in the Bahamas were 1) to determine the socioeconomic status of pregnant teenagers, their parents, and the putative father; 2) to describe the preparation of the girls for puberty and menarche; 3) to identify their knowledge about reproduction and contraception; and 4) to make recommendations for action based on the study findings. The study methodology is discussed in terms of the methods available for studying teenage pregnancy, the selection of study indicators, the design of the questionnaire, the choice of the population sample, and data analysis. Characteristics of the study population are presented as are limitations of the study. The results of the interviews with 91 currently pregnant teenagers and 24 teenage mothers conducted during July 28-September 5, 1986, reveal that 1) the teenagers themselves were probably unexpected and unwanted babies and, therefore, lack self-esteem; 2) many of the teenagers came from single-parent families where the mothers worked, the fathers reneged on their responsibilities, and the kinship system was an ineffective social control system; 3) the teenagers had sexual relations with older men for "love"; 4) their sex education came from ill-informed friends and older sisters; 5) information about contraception was limited and inaccurate; 6) early childbearing, while not generating approval, had no sanctions; and 7) the cycle is likely to be repeated. Recommended actions include using existing groups to improve self-esteem, increasing knowledge, educating men and boys about their responsibilities, providing early access to contraception, and researching informal sources for reaching adolescents with information, education, and services.

Keywords:

Bahamas
Recommendations
Adolescent Pregnancy
Self-Perception
Adolescents, Female
Psychological Factors
Maternal Health
Child Health
Congenital Abnormalities
Psychosocial Factors
Abortion
Research Methodology
Sex Behavior
Knowledge
Menarche
Contraception
Caribbean
Americas
Developed Countries
Reproductive Behavior
Fertility
Population Dynamics
Demographic Factors
Population
Perception
Behavior
Adolescents
Youth
Age Factors
Population Characteristics
Health
Neonatal Diseases and Abnormalities
Diseases
Fertility Control, Postconception
Family Planning
Menstruation
Reproduction