Volume No : (2017) Volume: 05 Issue : 28 Year : 2017 Page No: 204-209
Authors : Beena Rajan Naroor, Robin D. Tribhuwan
Abstract :
Objective: To study the role of gender characteristics in adolescent pregnancy among married adolescents living in urban slums of Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). Material and Methods: This was a retrospective study with descriptive study design with cluster sampling and probability sampling, setting in PCMC urban slums. Results: On bivariate analysis, the proportion of adolescent married girls was significantly more as compared to primigravida women (2.4% vs. 40.0%, P < 0.0001). More than three-forth (78.8%) of the study sample were in the age group of 20–24 years, two-thirds (33.5%) had attained education up to middle-level (5th–7th Std.) and were of general caste (34.1%), followed by SC/STs (28.8%) and OBCs (28.2%). The mean age of adolescent married girl at the time marriage was significantly less (17 years vs. 19 years, P < 0.0001) than primigravida woman. The decision about the marriage was mostly taken by the “father.” More than half of the adolescent married girls (54.1%) married to relatives from their extended families which were less in primigravida women (48.2%). In adolescent married girls, more than three-fourths (52.6% vs. 77.1%) had no idea of pregnancy and near to one-fourth (23.7% vs. 11.4%) among primigravida reported to conceive in the 1st year itself since mother-in-law wanted it. Decision makers about family size showed no significant difference between the study and control group. Conclusion: The univariate logistic regression modeling of lack of awareness about spacing method suggests that lack of awareness about spacing method was associated with women with younger age. The interplay between gender and adolescent pregnancy highlights the importance of incorporating gender characteristics in the social determinant of health.
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