FACTORS INFLUENCING PARENTAL DECISIONS ON ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY AMONG RURAL AND URBAN-BASED PARENTS OR GUARDIANS IN IBADAN, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

Adolescent pregnancy is an important public health problem on the increase in Nigeria. Few studies have investigated the circumstances and factors associated with parental decisions taken following an adolescent pregnancy, in spite of the implications of these on the adolescent. This study was designed to assess factors influencing parents‟/guardians‟ decisions on adolescent pregnancy.

A mixed method study involving the use of Key Informant Interviews (KII) and semi-structured interview was conducted. A four-stage sampling technique was used to select 261 and 244 respondents from Omi-Adio (rural) and Apata (urban) communities respectively. KII were conducted with twelve parents; (six each from urban and rural settings) who has had personal experiences of a pregnant adolescent. Descriptive and Chi-square statistics, and logistic regression were used for data analysis and qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis. The UK Registrar general‟s classification of occupation and socioeconomic status was used.

Mean age of respondents from rural and urban communities were 50+9.4 years and 48+10.1 years respectively. Fifty-five percent of urban and 30.1% of rural respondents had tertiary education. More rural (70.3%) than urban respondents (35.4%) were in the low socioeconomic group. More rural (91.9%) than urban dwellers (88.9%) supported keeping an adolescent pregnancy. More urban (93.4%) than rural (76.3%) dwellers were of the view that an adolescent should continue school after delivery (p