Abstract:
Teenage pregnancy, which is more prevalent among the slum dwellers
compared to other urban residents, is one of the key health and social problems among
slum dwellers in Colombo. This paper intends to examine the determinants of teenage
pregnancy from a sociological perspective. This study was conducted among 109
pregnant teenagers living in urban slums in Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) area
during 2008 July to 2010 July. A population proportionate sampling method was used
to select the participants from 13 Antenatal clinics (ANCs) covering 96 Public Health
Midwife areas in CMC. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through a
questionnaire and in-depth interviews. Qualitative analysis was done using Frame Work
Analysis and the quantitative analysis was done using SPSS software. Ethical approval
was obtained. The prevalence of teenage pregnancy was 7.8% in CMC during the
period of study. Higher prevalence of teenage pregnancy was observed in poorer PHM
areas. Study revealed that several factors at individual level, family level and
community level determine the pregnancy during teenage. Low education connected to
ethnicity, poverty, deprived childhood experiences, family background including
alcoholism in the family, having been born to teen parents, parental cohabitation or
marital dissolution, frequent family disputes, frequent evacuations of houses, gender
stereotypes related to role expectations, cultural parameters on sexuality, fertility beliefs
and absence of adolescent friendly services snowed a significant effect on teenage
pregnancy. This paper highlights the need for multi-sect oral interventions, targeted
essentially in the PHM areas which are highly affected by teenage pregnancy.
Key words: Teenage Pregnancy,
