Adolescent Marriage and Pregnancy: Sample of Eastern Black Sea

Authors : Birsel Canan DEMİRBAĞ, Meltem KÜRTÜNCÜ, Reyhan ERKAYA, Zeynep ÇİÇEK

Pages : 128-131

View : 33 | Download : 16

Publication Date : 2013-09-01

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate demographic features among married adolescent girls. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted in the period March 2010 to May 2012 in Trabzon, Turkey using face to face constructed questionnaire administered to 101 subjects registered in the Marriage Book of Municipality of Trabzon which came to the marriage center of the municipality. The study protocol was approved by Rural Ethics Committee of the city. Results: The participants were adolescent women who married between the age of 15-18. 42.5% of these were elementary school graduates, and none of the subjects were high school or university graduates. 65% of these adolescents did not want to have pregnancy in the first two years of marriage marriage. 94% of them had a baby during the first year of their marriages. 98% of them did not have knowledge about the responsibilities of marriage prior to being married, 42% of those women did not have health insurance and 73% do not use any methods of family planning. There was correlation between the marriage age of the women and the age at which their mothers married r=2.25 . Conclusion: Adolescents need to have knowledge about marriage, sexuality, pregnancy and baby care issues. In this city, an intensive educational program should be designed to teach all the adolescents in primary health services
Keywords : Adolescent, marriage, pregnancy in adolescence, Turkey