Factors Associated with Early Pregnancy among Adolescent Girls in Schools in Bohicon, Benin in 2022

Abstract

Introduction: The growing phenomenon of early pregnancies in Benin has adverse consequences on the lives of adolescent girls, impacting various social, health, economic, and educational aspects. This study aims to identify the factors associated with early pregnancies in the municipality of Bohicon in 2022. Materials and Methods: This is a case-control study conducted in Bohicon, involving 47 cases and 94 controls from 16 secondary and technical schools. Cases were selected exhaustively, while controls were randomly drawn from girls aged 10 to 19 in the same class who had never been pregnant. Matching was based on the type of institution and class. Data were collected through a questionnaire and analyzed using Epi info 7.2.1.0 and STATA 15 software, employing multiple conditional logistic regression (5% significance threshold) to identify factors related to early pregnancies. Results: The average age of adolescents was 17.63 years ± 0.09 for cases and 17.12 years ± 0.13 for controls. Associated factors included age over 16 years (p = 0.049), the marital status of the adolescent (single) (p = 0.001), and the monthly pocket money of the adolescent less than 10,000 FCFA (p = 0.031). Conclusion: Three factors related to early pregnancies were identified. To counteract this phenomenon and promote responsible sexuality among adolescents, it is essential to strengthen communication efforts aimed at modifying behaviors.