Community Leaders' Perception of Teenage Pregnancy in the Assin District of the Central Region of Ghana

SUMMARY

This study was conducted in the Assin District of the Central Region over a period of 10 days between July 6 and 16, 1999. The aim was to find the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of the community leaders about teenage pregnancy with reference to the available literature on the subject. It was also meant to determine if educational attainment, gender and type of community leadership have any significant influence on knowledge, attitudes and beliefs. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 30 communities with 146 leaders out of a total of 147 communities with a study population of 735 leaders. A multi-stage sampling methodology was applied using simple random sampling techniques to select the respondents. Data collection was done using a questionnaire designed by the researcher and pre-tested in six communities not covered in the main study. The questionnaires were administered to all the identified leaders in the selected communities by six trained assistants. Information collected included respondents demographic characteristics, their knowledge and experiences on the causes, effects and implications of teenage pregnancy. Ninety-two (63%) of the leaders were aware of the problems of teenage pregnancy in the communities. One hundred and five (72%) of respondents believe that the ideal age for marriage should be between the ages of 20 to 25 years; whilst 119(82%) indicated the same age as ideal for child birth. One hundred and thirty-eight (95%) believe pregnant teenagers resort to abortion and that these teen and mortality rates than children bom to adult women. One hundred and forty-three(97%) of the leaders believe teenage mothers suffer more economic hardships whilst ninety (62%) also believe that teenage mothers drop-out of school permanently. Most leaders (92.5% or 135) also believed that male teenagers were mostly responsible for the pregnancy of their female counterparts. Respondents were however, divided (51% against 49%) as to whether the male or the females should be blamed for the pregnancies. Over 90 percent of the leaders had experienced teenage pregnancies in their communities whilst 90%(132) had actually discussed the problem with community members. The major causes of teenage pregnancy were identified as poverty, peer group pressure, lack oi parental control, social pressures and lack of sex education. The community leaders felt that the intensification of sex education in the home, churches and schools; the enhancement of educational opportunities for girls and the application of sanctions can help solve the problems of teenage pregnancy in the communities. Majority of the respondents(76%) were against the supply of contraceptives to the youth as a solution to the problem. The results of the study indicated that thel46 leaders surveyed had a high level of awareness aboul the socio-economic and health implications of teenage pregnancy. It was discovered that, most respondents, usually over 80 percent, agreed with the established views in the literature that teenage mothers experience more socio-economic and medical problems during pregnancy, childbirth and in the care of their children than their adult counterparts. Gender and type of leadership had no significant influence on the views of respondents. Education, however, was the most significant influential factor where there were differences in respondents views.