Every year, approximately 21 million girls aged 15 to 19 living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) become pregnant and over 12 million of these girls give birth. Complications from pregnancy are the leading cause of death for girls aged 15 to 19 in LMICs and adolescent mothers face an elevated risk of life-long morbidities due to pregnancy and childbirth. The risk of early childbearing and its associated consequences vary significantly depending on age, socioeconomic status, and place of residence. Adolescents affected by conflict or natural disasters are often recognized as one of the most vulnerable groups in this regard; among the countries with the highest adolescent birth rates globally, most are affected by conflict or fragility. This dissertation aimed to fill a critical gap in the literature on adolescent pregnancy in humanitarian settings. The three studies in this dissertation utilize qualitative and quantitative research to better understand the myriad drivers of adolescent pregnancy and, in the context of protracted conflict in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), how exposure to armed conflict may or may not modify certain risk and protective factors. The findings of this dissertation confirm that risk and protective factors for adolescent pregnancy are numerous, interrelated, and complex; preventing early and unintended pregnancy requires multi-level interventions that build the protective assets of adolescents while also engaging with male partners, parents and caregivers, and community members. The research deepens this understanding by demonstrating the extent to which long-standing and deeply rooted sociocultural norms influence adolescents’ individual and inter-personal behaviors in diverse contexts, including settings affected by armed conflict. Thus, instead of considering how standalone risk and protective factors for adolescents differ depending on the context, the research highlights the importance of understanding linkages between environmental, inter-personal, and individual factors and the pathways through which these linkages influence reproductive health decision-making among adolescents. This dissertation also provides new evidence as to how the presence of armed conflict does not uniformly influence risk and protective factors for adolescent pregnancy. Instead, it finds that, in the case of DRC, underlying social norms and differences in social, demographic, and economic characteristics outweigh the effect of armed conflict on incidence of adolescent pregnancy. This finding does not mean that armed conflict does not have any impact on adolescent pregnancy; rather, it confirms the need for continued research in different humanitarian contexts and informs how to apply best practices from development settings to improve sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes among adolescents affected by humanitarian crises. Meeting the SRH needs of adolescents requires going beyond service provision and understanding the numerous, interrelated risk and protective factors that exist at the individual, inter-personal, and community levels. Situations of conflict and displacement may present additional complexities for understanding and meeting the SRH needs of adolescents. However, this dissertation shows the feasibility of conducting research and utilizing existing data to understand some of the root causes of adolescent pregnancy in a conflict-affected setting. Moreover, the studies highlight how more robust evidence can challenge some of our longstanding assumptions about adolescents affected by humanitarian crises. Continued rigorous research and taking the time to listen to adolescents and their communities can lead to more responsive adolescent SRH programs and services that contribute to adolescents’ healthy transitions to adulthood.

The purpose of this descriptive study was to assess the thoughts, feelings, and actions of pregnant teens at significant decision-making times: time of intercourse, confirmation of pregnancy, and six weeks post delivery. Factors associated with adolescent pregnancy and patterns of behavior were analyzed. Examination of the extant literature on adolescent pregnancy yielded insight into parental, socio-economic, and partner factors. The interview protocol emanated from the literature analysis. The interaction of these factors on the thoughts, feelings, and actions of female teens was the focus of the study. Data from personal recurrent interviews of pregnant teens over a four-month period served as the basis for analyzing thoughts, feelings, and actions. Analysis of individual and group thoughts, feelings, and actions generated behavior patterns relevant to each of the three decision-making times. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this research was to measure attitudinal differences between pregnant and nonpregnant teenagers. The sample was comprised of 192 junior and senior high school students. The pregnant group consisted of 87 teenagers enrolled in a Continuing Education Program for pregnant teens. The non-pregnant group was enrolled in a regular junior and senior high school. Comparisons were made of motivations for parenthood, romantic love attitudes and perception of need satisfaction. Analysis of Variance, one-way classification, was used to test the significance of the differences between the means of the two groups for each of the three variables. Pearson product moment correlation coefficients were computed to determine the degree in relationship among variables. / Ph. D.

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One of the most serious phenomena plaguing families and societies worldwide is teenage pregnancy. In South Africa teenage mothers are permitted to return to schools after giving bith however, not much is done to support these mothers in order to ensure that they are not psychosocially vulnerable and not drop out of school due to possible stress, frustration and lack of scholastic progress. This is where this study is located. This was a Qualitative study that used symbolic drawings accompanied by short descriptive narratives and individual, semi-structured interviews as data collection methods. The study involved 10 teenage mothers who had been re-admitted to schools after giving birth. The participants were aged 15 and 16 and is grades 9 and 10. The findings show that teenage mothers enjoyed family support, had dreams for the future, were anchored in religion and spirituality, had determination and that they had abilities to learn from mistakes. I could not locate a study that had focused on the typical vulnerabilities and empowerment of teenage mothers. Therefore, this study provides useful insight into the factors that are known to render young girls vulnerable to teenage pregnancy and the resultant motherhood and the personal and exological processes that combine in complex ways in order to enable young mothers to cope resiliently. The findings add to theory and have implications for practice / Thesis (MEd (Learner Support))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2013

The purpose of this study is to examine the problems that pregnant teenagers encounter at school and at home while they are trying to complete their high school education. Data were collected by in-depth interviews. Twenty pregnant adolescents, who were between the ages of 15 through 18, and were participants in a special teen pregnancy program were interviewed. The major findings in this study included the respondents': 1) unstable family life histories, 2) denial that they were pregnant, 3) need for self-identity as an adult, 4) conflict with parents and 5) motivation to complete their high school education. This study points to the need for more research on the problems that pregnant adolescents encounter in their everyday lives.

A research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Anthropology Department of Anthropology Faculty of Humanities University of the Witwatersrand March 2017 / This study explores the experiences of teenage pregnancy and motherhood among two generations of mothers living in Johannesburg, South Africa. This engagement with gendered subjectivity took the form of ethnographic fieldwork conducted with three older women (35 to 42 years old) who gave birth between the ages of 16 and 18; as well as five young women aged 18-19 who became mothers during their teenage years. Using a social constructionist framework, the study explores the gendered nature of teenage pregnancy by discussing the narratives of women before and after having their first child. It argues that gendered experiences of teenage pregnancy play a crucial role in local understandings and practices of good motherhood. In particular, being a good mother for the older women in the study meant doing their best as parents to prevent teenage pregnancy in the younger generation. The women saw this as the best way to safeguard their daughters’ social reputations and educational futures in a context that considers teenage pregnancy to be unacceptable. When their attempts at preventing pregnancy proved unsuccessful, the older women were cast as inadequate parents who were partly to blame for their daughters’ pregnancies. / MT2018

Teenage pregnancy in South Africa, especially amongst teenage learners has become a national crisis with an estimated average of 5000 girls between the ages of 12 and 19 falling pregnant in one school year (Headlines Africa, 2012). This study focused on how process drama was applied with adolescent learners at Supreme Educational College in Johannesburg, to investigate the causes and consequences of teenage pregnancy. Process drama requires participants to create and assume roles, identify and explore images and stories drawn from fictional worlds that relate to the participants’ own personal experiences. Through process drama workshops, teenagers were able to engage with challenging situations as a way of acquiring new knowledge about teenage pregnancy. Three major themes emerged as contributing factors to teenage pregnancy, namely, parental negligence and abuse, negative peer pressure and poverty. The learner’s engagement within the dramatic process was enhanced by means of dialogue, negotiation and reflection with the teacher adopting the role of facilitator and co-participant. The fictional world created by the drama enabled the learners to relate and identify with problematic aspects of teenage pregnancy. The study concludes that process drama offers an aesthetic space for teenagers to develop a deeper understanding of themselves in relation to their lived experiences. The study recommends process drama as a powerful interactive medium that needs to be implemented in schools to grapple with intractable issues such as teenage pregnancy.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

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