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Trends, characteristics, and outcomes of adolescent pregnancy in eastern Turkey
Author(s) -
Edirne Tamer,
Can Muhammet,
Kolusari Ali,
Yildizhan Recep,
Adali Ertan,
Akdag Beyza
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1016/j.ijgo.2010.03.012
Subject(s) - medicine , pregnancy , demography , prenatal care , low birth weight , birth weight , obstetrics , population , environmental health , genetics , sociology , biology
Objective To determine the proportion of adolescent births in Van, Turkey, and to identify characteristics and related outcomes. Methods Mothers who gave birth at three maternity centers in Van, Turkey, were chosen randomly and were invited to complete a face‐to‐face questionnaire. Participants were asked for demographic information and pregnancy history. Pregnancy outcomes were obtained from the birth records. Results Of 1872 mothers who completed the questionnaires, 211 (11.3%) were younger than 19 years. Adolescent mothers showed significantly more inappropriate education for age (82.5% vs 70.1; P < 0.001) and were married to less educated partners (76.3% vs 59.4%; P < 0.001) following unofficial matrimonies (25.6% vs 10.7%; P < 0.001) than older mothers. There were no differences between the age groups in rates of arranged marriages with relatives, income, and household structure. Adolescent mothers reported higher rates of intimate partner violence (17.1% vs 10.8%; P = 0.008) and inadequate prenatal care use (28.4% vs 17.6%; P < 0.001) compared with older mothers. Adolescent births were associated with an increased risk for preterm delivery ( P < 0.001) and low birth weight ( P < 0.001). Conclusions Cultural factors rather than economic factors seem to be related to early age at marriage and adolescent childbearing, which are associated with poor birth outcomes.