TITLE:
Factors Associated with Early Pregnancy among Adolescent Girls in Schools in Bohicon, Benin in 2022
AUTHORS:
Biao Mélissa, Glele Ahanhanzo Yolaine, Mongbo Virginie, Houngnihin Roch, Togonou Fréjus, Assogba Christelle
KEYWORDS:
Early Pregnancy, Schools, Factors, Bohicon
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.13 No.11,
November
28,
2023
ABSTRACT: Introduction: The growing phenomenon of early pregnancies in Benin
has adverse consequences on the lives of adolescent girls, impacting various
social, health, economic, and educational aspects. This study aims to identify
the factors associated with early
pregnancies in the municipality of Bohicon in 2022. Materials and Methods: This
is a case-control study conducted in Bohicon, involving 47 cases and 94 controls from 16 secondary and technical
schools. Cases were selected exhaustively, while controls were randomly drawn
from girls aged 10 to 19 in the same class who had never been pregnant.
Matching was based on the type of
institution and class. Data were collected through a questionnaire and analyzed
using Epi info 7.2.1.0 and STATA 15 software, employing multiple conditional
logistic regression (5% significance threshold) to identify factors
related to early pregnancies. Results: The average age of adolescents
was 17.63 years ± 0.09 for cases and 17.12 years ± 0.13 for controls. Associated
factors included age over 16 years (p = 0.049), the marital status of the
adolescent (single) (p = 0.001), and the monthly pocket money of the adolescent less than 10,000 FCFA (p = 0.031). Conclusion: Three factors related to early pregnancies were identified. To counteract
this phenomenon and promote responsible sexuality among adolescents, it is
essential to strengthen communication efforts aimed at modifying
behaviors.