TITLE:
Influence of Social Behaviour Change and Communication Interventions on Safe Motherhood Practices among Adolescent Mothers in Ndola District, Zambia
AUTHORS:
Juness Kachimba, Catherine Mubita Ngoma, Concepta Kwaleyela
KEYWORDS:
Adolescent Pregnancy, Safe Motherhood, Social and Behaviour Change Communication, Maternal Health, Adolescents
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biosciences and Medicines,
Vol.14 No.4,
April
17,
2026
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Adolescent pregnancy remains a significant public health concern in low- and middle-income countries, where utilization of maternal health services among adolescents is often suboptimal. Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) interventions have been implemented to promote safe motherhood practices; however, evidence on their quality and effectiveness among adolescent mothers remains limited. This study assessed the quality of SBCC interventions and their association with safe motherhood practices among adolescent mothers in Ndola District, Zambia. Materials and Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 394 adolescent mothers aged 15 - 19 years attending antenatal and postnatal services in selected urban health facilities in Ndola District between October and December 2024. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 28. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression were used to examine associations between SBCC quality and safe motherhood practices. Statistical significance was set at p Results: Overall, 61.2% of respondents were classified as practicing safe motherhood. The majority of respondents (87.6%) perceived Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) interventions as adequate. Safe motherhood practices were significantly associated with marital status, education level, occupation, living arrangements, number of living children, and travel time to the nearest health facility in the bivariate analysis (p Conclusion: The study demonstrates that adequate exposure to Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) interventions is strongly associated with improved safe motherhood practices among adolescent mothers. Strengthening adolescent-responsive SBCC strategies and addressing contextual factors influencing maternal health behaviours may contribute to improved maternal health outcomes among adolescent mothers in Zambia.