Determinants and Prevalence Comparison of Teenage Marital Pregnancy among Bangladeshi Women: A Cross-Sectional Study

Age at first birth has a direct effect on fertility, early pregnancy initiation extends the reproductive duration and then rises a countries fertility rate. The present study aims to examine the existing situation of age at first birth and to identify the influencing factor of early age at first birth. A secondary analysis of Bangladesh Demographic and Health survey data 2004, 2007, 2011, 2014, 2017-18 have been performed. To measure the effect of the explanatory variables on early age at first birth, we have performed univariate analysis, bivariate analysis, Binary Logistic Regression Analysis and Cox-proportional Hazard model analysis. After performing bivariate analysis, a logistic regression analysis and cox-proportional analysis have been performed to assess the effect of the explanatory variables. Here, binary logistic regression analysis has been performed to calculate odds ration with 95% confidence interval for the selected factors and cox- proportional hazard model has been performed to determine the hazard ratio with the same confidence interval for the selected factors. The overall prevalence of teenage pregnancy is about 76.48%. The teenage pregnancy in 2007 was 3.88% lower and in 2011 teenage pregnancy was 5.44% lower, in 2014 the teenage pregnancy was 6.11% lower and lastly in 2017-18 the teenage pregnancy was 7.84% lower compare to 2004 in our study. This study has found that the teenage pregnancy of women was slightly declined in Bangladesh from 2004 to 2017-18. In our study, age at first birth is our dependent variable and type of residence, family type, wealth index. respondents' education level, partners' education level, religion and partners' employment status are our response variable. We have observed that, type of residence, family type, wealth index, religion, education level of respondents & partners has statistically significant effects on our response variable. And husbands' working status has no significant effect on our study. Here, this study has found that the matter of teenage pregnancy is a common phenomenon and has a significant rate among teenage married women especially who are from poor, uneducated and Muslim family. Government should take proper initiatives to spread awareness about teenage marriage as well as teenage pregnancy.

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