Mindanaotoday.com | Dev’t council backs expanded study on teenage pregnancy in North Mindanao
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Regional Development Council (RDC)-X backed the conduct of an expanded study on factors influencing the occurrence of teenage pregnancy in Region X from 2017 to 2022.
The council approved the request of the Northern Bukidnon State College (NBSC) for the endorsement of the research team of Phase 2 of the research study and urged target local government units (LGUs) to support the conduct of the study.
In collaboration with the National Economic and Development Authority-X and the Commission of Population and Development-X, NBSC conducted Phase 1 of the study from June to December 2022, which covered the top 10 cities and municipalities in the region with a high incidence of teenage pregnancy.
The study intends to determine the profile of teenagers and examine the level and factors contributing to teen pregnancy in every municipality and city.
The areas included Cagayan de Oro City (6,809 cases); Iligan City (2,454); Malaybalay City, Bukidnon (1,740); Valencia City, Bukidnon (1,632); Maramag, Bukidnon (1,160); Quezon, Bukidnon (1,060); Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental (1,040); Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon (979); San Fernando, Bukidnon (838); and Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental (601).
NBSC intends to conduct Phase 2 of the study from November to December this year, extending the coverage to Camiguin, Oroquieta City in Misamis Occidental; Tubod in Lanao del Norte; Jasaan in Misamis Oriental; and Villanueva in Misamis Oriental.
Key Insights from Phase 1
In Phase 1 of the study, the research team interviewed 1,806 teenage mothers who got pregnant from 2017-2022.
The study reveals that a significant proportion of teenage mothers are the eldest in the families, constituting 26.80 percent (%) of the total, closely followed by the second-born at 24.64%. The parental occupation landscape predominantly consists of blue-collar jobs, with laborers and farmers being the most prevalent. Also, a notable proportion of respondents report having unemployed parents.
Financially, the majority of families (68.66%) fall within the annual income bracket of under P29,588, signifying relatively lower household earnings. Geographically, 67.83% of the respondents reside in urban areas, while 32.17% live in rural settings, underscoring the urban-rural distribution.
Regarding pregnancy intention, 41.47% of respondents experienced a “wanted and planned” pregnancy, while 26.47% faced a “wanted but unplanned” situation.
In terms of the age at first pregnancy, 17 emerged as the most prevalent age, closely followed by 18 and 16. The youngest reported age is 13 years old. Partners of teenage mothers predominantly fall within the 18 to 22-year-old range and a common age difference of one year between respondents and their partners.
The study also revealed that many teenage mothers were not attending school during pregnancy, with a lack of personal interest as one of the reasons cited. Alarmingly, 46.79% reported not utilizing any family planning methods, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced awareness and accessibility of such services.
It further showed that the primary driver for engaging in sexual activity among respondents was self-desire (84.94%). Partner pressure likewise influenced 10.69% of cases.
Meanwhile, close to half (49.83%) of the respondents reported not discussing sexuality with their parents, indicating a significant gap in open communication on this crucial topic.
Policy recommendations
Taking off from the results of Phase 1 of the study, the NBSC identified some policy recommendations which included comprehensive training of teachers handling sexuality education, inclusion of sexuality education as a stand-alone subject in the Basic Education Curriculum, creation of proactive materials/advertisements on social media and dissemination activities for out-of-school youth, and revisitation of Sangguniang Kabataan’s programs and activities, among others. (APB/PIA-10)
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