Influence of household characteristics on teenage pregnancy in Mbale District

Abstract

Teenage pregnancy is a public health concern in both developed and developing countries. It is defined as any pregnancy that ends before the age of 20years.It usually refers to teens between the ages of 13-19 years, but it can include girls as young as 10 years. It is also called teen pregnancy or adolescent pregnancy. By 2016, 16% of the world’s population was of adolescents with 86% residing in developing countries. About 12 million births were in 15 -19 years olds. Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly East Africa has high adolescent pregnancy rates, as high as 35% in eastern Uganda. Maternal mortality ratio (MMR) attributable to 15-19 years olds is significant with 17.1% of Uganda’s MMR 33/100.000 live births being in this age group.