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. 2022 Jul 5;19(13):8222.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph19138222.

Regional Trends and Socioeconomic Predictors of Adolescent Pregnancy in Nigeria: A Nationwide Study

Blessing Jaka Akombi-Inyang  1 , Emma Woolley  2 , Chinonyerem Ogadi Iheanacho  3 , Khulan Bayaraa  4 , Pramesh Raj Ghimire  5
Affiliations

Regional Trends and Socioeconomic Predictors of Adolescent Pregnancy in Nigeria: A Nationwide Study

Blessing Jaka Akombi-Inyang et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Adolescent pregnancy is a major health concern which has lifelong consequences. The aim of this study is to examine the regional trends and socioeconomic predictors of adolescent pregnancy in Nigeria. This study used pooled data from the 2008, 2013 and 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). A total of 22,761 women aged 15-19 years were selected across the three surveys. Multilevel logistic regression analysis that adjusted for cluster and survey weights was used to identify predictors of adolescent pregnancy in Nigeria, across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Adolescent pregnancy remained constant between 2008 (22.9%; 95% CI = 22.14, 24.66), and 2013 (22.5%; 95% CI = 20.58, 24.50), but a significant decline was reported in 2018 (18.7%; 95% CI = 17.12, 20.46). Trends show a decrease in adolescent pregnancy across all six geopolitical zones, except for the South-East zone which reported a slight increase (0.6%). Multivariable analysis revealed that the main socioeconomic predictors across all six geopolitical zones were: poor households, increasing age, and low education. Exposure to media (watching television and reading newspapers) was reported as predictor in all regions except the North-East geopolitical zone, while all northern zones reported high levels of adolescent pregnancy in male-led households. To address adolescent pregnancy in Nigeria, there is need to promote girls' education especially among poor households, and for the dissemination of reproductive health messages to adolescents through various forms of mass media campaign, as well as the adoption of social marketing interventions to improve sexual and reproductive health literacy.

Keywords: Nigeria; adolescent health; adolescent pregnancy; sexual and reproductive health; teenage pregnancy; trend.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicting interests.

Figures

Scheme 1
Scheme 1
Map of Nigeria showing boundaries of six geopolitical zones, 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT-Abuja).
Figure 1
Figure 1
Trends in prevalence of adolescent pregnancy with 95% with CI in Nigeria, NDHS 2008–2018.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Trends in prevalence of adolescent pregnancy with 95 CI in (a) South West; (b) North East; (c) North West; (d) South East; (e) South South and (f) North central zones, Nigeria (2008–2018).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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