Adolescent Pregnancy: a Case Study of Muthithi Location of Murang'a District

Abstract

This is a study of pre-marital adolescent pregnancy in Muthithi Location ofMurang'a district. Its objective was to investigate the extent to which socio-economic factors which includes adolescents' level of education, occupation and income as well as parents' level of education and income are related to pre-marital adolescent pregnancy. This study was guided by modernization as well as socialization theories. The first hypothesis was that pre-marital adolescent pregnancy is related to adolescents' level of education, occupation and income. The second hypothesis was that pre-marital adolescent pregnancy is related to parents' level of education and income. This study was based on a survey consisting of a random sample of unmarried adolescent mothers. A total of 196 unmarried adolescent mothers was interviewed. The interview schedule contained both open ended and closed-ended questions. The data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics such as percentages, tables and gamma measure of association. According to the study's findings, adolescents' level of education is strongly related to pre-marital adolescent pregnancy. Pre-marital adolescent pregnancy can therefore be attributed to adolescents' level of education. The majority of the adolescents studied had low levels of education. Adolescents' occupation and income as well as parents' (fathers' and mothers') level of education and income were found to be weakly related to pre-marital adolescent pregnancy. Pre-marital adolescent pregnancy cannot therefore be attributed to these factors. The study therefore concluded that adolescents' level of education is related to pre-marital adolescent pregnancy. The finding that adolescents' level of education is related to pre-marital adolescent pregnancy supports the argument advanced in the theoretical framework. It was argued that with modernization, formal education has become important. Formal education is highly valued by adolescents as well as by society in general as people with higher levels of education have a bright future. It is easy for such people to obtain jobs which are well paying and which have good career prospects. Sudi people are therefore able to become selfreliant. Adolescent girls with low levels of education have a bleak future as it is hard for them to obtain jobs which are well paying and which have good career prospects. In an attempt to better their bleak future, adolescent girls with low levels of education tend to look for men with higher levels of education as such men have a bright future or men with well paying jobs and therefore self-reliant. Many of these adolescent girls are easily lured into sexual activities by such men and they end up conceiving outside the institution of marriage. On the basis ofthe findings, the study recommended that one, adolescent girls should be encouraged by parents, teachers and religious leaders to join various clubs for example volleyball, drama, painting, athletics in order to be busy and also discover their talents which they can use to improve their socio-economic status. Two, the study recommended that adolescents should be properly and carefully counselled by parents, teachers and religious leaders. Adolescents' especially girls should be advised against sexual activities as they result in unplanned pregnancies.