Prevalence of Teenage Pregnancy and Associated Factors Among Adolescent Girls in Bobi Subcounty, Northern Uganda.
Keywords:
Prevalence, factors associated, Teenage /adolescent pregnancy, Bobi, northern UgandaAbstract
Background
Teenage pregnancy is a global problem and considered a high-risk group, posing serious health and socio-economic problems among teenage girls. In Uganda, 12% of the audited maternal deaths occur among teenagers. Teenage pregnancy is the occurrence of pregnancy between the ages of 13 and 19 years. Key factors contributing to this include the higher likelihood of teenage pregnancy, absence of sex education, lower birth orders, low economic status, rural residence, and exposure to peer pressure. The prevalence and factors associated with teenage pregnancy in health facilities are not well documented. However, access to youth-friendly services is associated with reduced occurrence. Prolonged waiting times and greater distances to service centers pose increased risks.
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Aim
To assess the prevalence of teenage pregnancy and associated factors among adolescent girls (aged 13-19 years) in Bobi sub-county, northern Uganda.
Methodology
A Cross-sectional study design. A survey was conducted among 4893 married girls aged 15-19 years using quantitative methods. Quantitative data was collected through the structured questionnaire, which was administered, data was collected and entered in EPI-INFO 2020 software, and was cleaned and analyzed using STATA version 15.0. Binary logistic regression was done to examine the factors independently associated with teenage pregnancy. A multistage sampling technique was used.
Results
Our study showed that the prevalence of teenage pregnancy in Bobi Sub-County, Omoro District, is high at 27.5%. Significant Factors contributing to the likelihood of teenage pregnancy included those aged 16-17years ( p = 0.009), absence of sex education( p = 0.002), ( p = 0.042) and birth order of four ( p = 0.010), high economic status( p = 0.003), Urban residence ( p = 2), exposure to peer pressure (p = 0.027), access to youth-friendly services( p = 0.038), prolonged waiting times ( p = 0.049) and greater distances to service centers ( p = 0.013).
Conclusion
Based on the study findings, collaborative efforts are recommended to address the high prevalence of teenage pregnancy in Bobi Sub-County, Omoro District. This involves enhancing age-appropriate sex education with the Ministry of Education, improving access to youth-friendly services through collaboration with the Ministry of Health, and implementing peer support programs with
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Copyright (c) 2026 Grace Auma, Margaret Alioru, Geoffrey Kaujju, Mary Grace Nakate (Author)
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