Factors Associated with Agreeing to Early Childbearing Among School Girls of Selected Rural Districts in Zambia

Priscilla Nkonde; Cheelo Mweene; Patrick Musonda

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20190501.17

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Factors Associated with Agreeing to Early Childbearing Among School Girls of Selected Rural Districts in Zambia

Priscilla Nkonde, Cheelo Mweene, Patrick Musonda

Published in International Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education and Behavioural Science (Volume 5, Issue 1)

Received: 12 March 2019 Accepted: 17 April 2019 Published: 20 May 2019

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Abstract

Background: The Zambia Demographic Health survey conducted in 2014 reported a notable number of adolescent girls 3627(11.7%) who had their first sexual intercourse by age 15 and the Zambia National Health Strategic Plan 2017-2021 highlighted the high adolescent birth rate which stood at 141 per 1000 live births between the years 2013 and 2014. In this paper, we adopted the WHO definition of an Adolescent as any person between the ages of 10 to 19 years. This study aimed at investigating baseline factors that leads to agreeing into early childbearing practices among adolescent girls in selected rural districts of Zambia nested in the RISE cluster randomized trial. In this study early childbearing was taken to mean any pregnancy before the age of 16. Methods: This study is a nested quantitative cross-sectional design. Participants were girls attending grade seven at various schools in 2016. Information on factors that could influence the participants’ view on childbearing were collected at baseline. A complete enumeration of approximately 5000 girls recruited in 12 rural districts of Central and Southern provinces were analysed. Descriptive statistics were presented as frequencies and percentages in tables. To check for association with categorical variables, either Chi-squared or Fisher’s exact test was done depending on whether the assumptions for Chi-squared test were satisfied or not. Univariate and Multiple Logistic regression analysis was used to test the association between independent factors and early childbearing. Clustering in the study was accounted for using robust standard errors. Results: The findings showed that more than two-thirds 3189 (73.7%) of the participants had little or no knowledge regarding adolescent sexual and reproductive health services while less than one-third 1137 (26%) had knowledge regarding Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health services. Adolescents with mobile phones were 2.5 times more likely to have children early compared to adolescents without mobile phones. Majority 227 (69%) who agreed to early childbearing were aged 10 to 15 years, whilst the least 99(30.3%) were in the age range of 16 to 20 years. In addition, results revealed that one-year increase in age of an adolescent girl increases agreeing to early childbearing by 30% (OR=1.30, 95% CI (1.01, 1.67), p- value=0.03). Overall, very few factors (mobile phone and age) at baseline were found to be associated with agreeing to early childbearing. Conclusions: Only mobile phone use and age were associated with agreeing to early childbearing.

Published in	International Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education and Behavioural Science (Volume 5, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20190501.17
Page(s)	52-58
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2019. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Early Childbearing, Knowledge, Adolescent, Reproductive Health

References

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[7]	Lloyd CB, Mensch BS et al. Marriage and childbirth as factors in dropping out from school: An analysis of DHS data from sub-Saharan Africa. Popul Stud (Camb) 2008; 62 (1): 1-13.
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[17]	Palamuleni M, Adebowale A et al. Patterns of premarital childbearing among unmarried female youths in sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from demographic health survey. Scientific Research and Essays. 2014; 9 (10): 421-30.
[18]	Marteleto, L., Lam, D., && Ranchod, V et al. Sexual behaviour, pregnancy and schooling among young people in urban South Africa. Studies in family planning. 2008; 39 (4): 351-368.

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Priscilla Nkonde, Cheelo Mweene, Patrick Musonda. (2019). Factors Associated with Agreeing to Early Childbearing Among School Girls of Selected Rural Districts in Zambia. International Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education and Behavioural Science, 5(1), 52-58. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20190501.17

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Priscilla Nkonde; Cheelo Mweene; Patrick Musonda. Factors Associated with Agreeing to Early Childbearing Among School Girls of Selected Rural Districts in Zambia. Int. J. HIV/AIDS Prev. Educ. Behav. Sci. 2019, 5(1), 52-58. doi: 10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20190501.17

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Priscilla Nkonde, Cheelo Mweene, Patrick Musonda. Factors Associated with Agreeing to Early Childbearing Among School Girls of Selected Rural Districts in Zambia. Int J HIV/AIDS Prev Educ Behav Sci. 2019;5(1):52-58. doi: 10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20190501.17

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@article{10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20190501.17,
  author = {Priscilla Nkonde and Cheelo Mweene and Patrick Musonda},
  title = {Factors Associated with Agreeing to Early Childbearing Among School Girls of Selected Rural Districts in Zambia},
  journal = {International Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education and Behavioural Science},
  volume = {5},
  number = {1},
  pages = {52-58},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20190501.17},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20190501.17},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijhpebs.20190501.17},
  abstract = {Background: The Zambia Demographic Health survey conducted in 2014 reported a notable number of adolescent girls 3627(11.7%) who had their first sexual intercourse by age 15 and the Zambia National Health Strategic Plan 2017-2021 highlighted the high adolescent birth rate which stood at 141 per 1000 live births between the years 2013 and 2014. In this paper, we adopted the WHO definition of an Adolescent as any person between the ages of 10 to 19 years. This study aimed at investigating baseline factors that leads to agreeing into early childbearing practices among adolescent girls in selected rural districts of Zambia nested in the RISE cluster randomized trial. In this study early childbearing was taken to mean any pregnancy before the age of 16. Methods: This study is a nested quantitative cross-sectional design. Participants were girls attending grade seven at various schools in 2016. Information on factors that could influence the participants’ view on childbearing were collected at baseline. A complete enumeration of approximately 5000 girls recruited in 12 rural districts of Central and Southern provinces were analysed. Descriptive statistics were presented as frequencies and percentages in tables. To check for association with categorical variables, either Chi-squared or Fisher’s exact test was done depending on whether the assumptions for Chi-squared test were satisfied or not. Univariate and Multiple Logistic regression analysis was used to test the association between independent factors and early childbearing. Clustering in the study was accounted for using robust standard errors. Results: The findings showed that more than two-thirds 3189 (73.7%) of the participants had little or no knowledge regarding adolescent sexual and reproductive health services while less than one-third 1137 (26%) had knowledge regarding Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health services. Adolescents with mobile phones were 2.5 times more likely to have children early compared to adolescents without mobile phones. Majority 227 (69%) who agreed to early childbearing were aged 10 to 15 years, whilst the least 99(30.3%) were in the age range of 16 to 20 years. In addition, results revealed that one-year increase in age of an adolescent girl increases agreeing to early childbearing by 30% (OR=1.30, 95% CI (1.01, 1.67), p- value=0.03). Overall, very few factors (mobile phone and age) at baseline were found to be associated with agreeing to early childbearing. Conclusions: Only mobile phone use and age were associated with agreeing to early childbearing.},
 year = {2019}
}

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TY - JOUR
T1 - Factors Associated with Agreeing to Early Childbearing Among School Girls of Selected Rural Districts in Zambia
AU - Priscilla Nkonde
AU - Cheelo Mweene
AU - Patrick Musonda
Y1 - 2019/05/20
PY - 2019
N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20190501.17
DO - 10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20190501.17
T2 - International Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education and Behavioural Science
JF - International Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education and Behavioural Science
JO - International Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education and Behavioural Science
SP - 52
EP - 58
PB - Science Publishing Group
SN - 2575-5765
UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20190501.17
AB - Background: The Zambia Demographic Health survey conducted in 2014 reported a notable number of adolescent girls 3627(11.7%) who had their first sexual intercourse by age 15 and the Zambia National Health Strategic Plan 2017-2021 highlighted the high adolescent birth rate which stood at 141 per 1000 live births between the years 2013 and 2014. In this paper, we adopted the WHO definition of an Adolescent as any person between the ages of 10 to 19 years. This study aimed at investigating baseline factors that leads to agreeing into early childbearing practices among adolescent girls in selected rural districts of Zambia nested in the RISE cluster randomized trial. In this study early childbearing was taken to mean any pregnancy before the age of 16. Methods: This study is a nested quantitative cross-sectional design. Participants were girls attending grade seven at various schools in 2016. Information on factors that could influence the participants’ view on childbearing were collected at baseline. A complete enumeration of approximately 5000 girls recruited in 12 rural districts of Central and Southern provinces were analysed. Descriptive statistics were presented as frequencies and percentages in tables. To check for association with categorical variables, either Chi-squared or Fisher’s exact test was done depending on whether the assumptions for Chi-squared test were satisfied or not. Univariate and Multiple Logistic regression analysis was used to test the association between independent factors and early childbearing. Clustering in the study was accounted for using robust standard errors. Results: The findings showed that more than two-thirds 3189 (73.7%) of the participants had little or no knowledge regarding adolescent sexual and reproductive health services while less than one-third 1137 (26%) had knowledge regarding Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health services. Adolescents with mobile phones were 2.5 times more likely to have children early compared to adolescents without mobile phones. Majority 227 (69%) who agreed to early childbearing were aged 10 to 15 years, whilst the least 99(30.3%) were in the age range of 16 to 20 years. In addition, results revealed that one-year increase in age of an adolescent girl increases agreeing to early childbearing by 30% (OR=1.30, 95% CI (1.01, 1.67), p- value=0.03). Overall, very few factors (mobile phone and age) at baseline were found to be associated with agreeing to early childbearing. Conclusions: Only mobile phone use and age were associated with agreeing to early childbearing.
VL - 5
IS - 1
ER -

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Author Information

Priscilla Nkonde

School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
Cheelo Mweene

School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
Patrick Musonda

School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

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APA Style

Priscilla Nkonde, Cheelo Mweene, Patrick Musonda. (2019). Factors Associated with Agreeing to Early Childbearing Among School Girls of Selected Rural Districts in Zambia. International Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education and Behavioural Science, 5(1), 52-58. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20190501.17

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ACS Style

Priscilla Nkonde; Cheelo Mweene; Patrick Musonda. Factors Associated with Agreeing to Early Childbearing Among School Girls of Selected Rural Districts in Zambia. Int. J. HIV/AIDS Prev. Educ. Behav. Sci. 2019, 5(1), 52-58. doi: 10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20190501.17

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AMA Style

Priscilla Nkonde, Cheelo Mweene, Patrick Musonda. Factors Associated with Agreeing to Early Childbearing Among School Girls of Selected Rural Districts in Zambia. Int J HIV/AIDS Prev Educ Behav Sci. 2019;5(1):52-58. doi: 10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20190501.17

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@article{10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20190501.17,
  author = {Priscilla Nkonde and Cheelo Mweene and Patrick Musonda},
  title = {Factors Associated with Agreeing to Early Childbearing Among School Girls of Selected Rural Districts in Zambia},
  journal = {International Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education and Behavioural Science},
  volume = {5},
  number = {1},
  pages = {52-58},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20190501.17},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20190501.17},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijhpebs.20190501.17},
  abstract = {Background: The Zambia Demographic Health survey conducted in 2014 reported a notable number of adolescent girls 3627(11.7%) who had their first sexual intercourse by age 15 and the Zambia National Health Strategic Plan 2017-2021 highlighted the high adolescent birth rate which stood at 141 per 1000 live births between the years 2013 and 2014. In this paper, we adopted the WHO definition of an Adolescent as any person between the ages of 10 to 19 years. This study aimed at investigating baseline factors that leads to agreeing into early childbearing practices among adolescent girls in selected rural districts of Zambia nested in the RISE cluster randomized trial. In this study early childbearing was taken to mean any pregnancy before the age of 16. Methods: This study is a nested quantitative cross-sectional design. Participants were girls attending grade seven at various schools in 2016. Information on factors that could influence the participants’ view on childbearing were collected at baseline. A complete enumeration of approximately 5000 girls recruited in 12 rural districts of Central and Southern provinces were analysed. Descriptive statistics were presented as frequencies and percentages in tables. To check for association with categorical variables, either Chi-squared or Fisher’s exact test was done depending on whether the assumptions for Chi-squared test were satisfied or not. Univariate and Multiple Logistic regression analysis was used to test the association between independent factors and early childbearing. Clustering in the study was accounted for using robust standard errors. Results: The findings showed that more than two-thirds 3189 (73.7%) of the participants had little or no knowledge regarding adolescent sexual and reproductive health services while less than one-third 1137 (26%) had knowledge regarding Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health services. Adolescents with mobile phones were 2.5 times more likely to have children early compared to adolescents without mobile phones. Majority 227 (69%) who agreed to early childbearing were aged 10 to 15 years, whilst the least 99(30.3%) were in the age range of 16 to 20 years. In addition, results revealed that one-year increase in age of an adolescent girl increases agreeing to early childbearing by 30% (OR=1.30, 95% CI (1.01, 1.67), p- value=0.03). Overall, very few factors (mobile phone and age) at baseline were found to be associated with agreeing to early childbearing. Conclusions: Only mobile phone use and age were associated with agreeing to early childbearing.},
 year = {2019}
}

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