Abstract:

Background: Teenage pregnancy is a major health concern because of its association with higher morbidity and mortality for both the mother and child. Childbearing during the teenage years frequently has adverse social consequences, particularly for educational attainment; because women who become mothers in their teens are more likely to curtail their education, complications of pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death in young women aged 15-19 years. Unwanted pregnancies may end in abortions, which are often unsafe in this age group. In Tanzania like other poor countries with a high burden of teenage pregnancy there are limited studies conducted, so the study carried out to assess the magnitude and factors associated with adolescent pregnancies in them had been an initial step towards understanding reproductive health problems among adolescent girls and allowed for many other studies to be carried out and thus facilitate in formulation of policies and establishing programs which will help providing education and prevention of teenage pregnancy from community to national level.

Objective: The study was aimed at determining the prevalence of adolescent pregnancies and associated factors among women attending RCH in Tumbi Regional Referral Hospital.

Methodology: Cross-sectional hospital based study involving 100 adolescent girls attended RCH services at Tumbi Regional Referral Hospital was conducted between September and October 2018. Women who consented and had the inclusion were recruited through convenience sampling and structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20 software for windows by applying descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: During the study a total 218 women attended RCH clinic, among them 100 were adolescents which was equivalent to 45.9%, the mentioned risk factors were; increased high risk behavior like smoking, alcohol abuse 37 (37%) and poverty 35 (35%) to be the contributory factors of adolescent pregnancy. Other factors were lack accessibility to family planning services 17 (17%), peer pressure 23 (23%), lack sexual education 31 (31%) and desire for luxury lifestyle 39 (39%). Only 25 (25%) out of 100 said being raised parent was a risk for adolescent pregnancy.

Conclusion: The study finding revealed that prevalence of adolescent pregnancy among women attending RCH clinic at Tumbi Regional Referral Hospital was 45.9% and the associated factors for this were low education on sexual health 31%, others where engagement on high risk behaviours 37%, poverty 35% and desire of luxury life 39%.

Recommendation: Education on sexual health reproduction should be given to the adolescents at all levels from the family level to government level. Also the government should make sure the family planning methods are accessible to everyone regardless of their ages.