Personal and family attributes of pregnant teenagers: findings from a community-based study in Sri Lanka.

BACKGROUND: Teenage pregnancies are associated with negative outcomes. Prevention requires understanding them and their families. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to describe personal and family attributes of pregnant teenagers in Sri Lanka. METHODS: This was a community-based study in Sri Lanka among 510 pregnant teenagers. RESULTS: Half (50%) of the subjects were 19 years of age at the time of pregnancy. A majority (79.8%) had studied up to grades 6-11. Confidence in decision-making (80.7%) and in refusing unnecessary requests (88.3%) was "excellent" in a majority. Mean age of marriage/co-habiting was 17.6 years. For 31% marriage/cohabiting was a sudden decision taken jointly with their partner (81.6%) and 83% reported being "legally" married. Substantial proportions of mothers (17.6%) and fathers (13.9%) had not attended school and 33.1% mothers had worked abroad. Teenagers reported the death of a parent (14.1%) parental separation (10.9%) and being brought up by relatives (20%). Only a few rated strictness of rules/regulations (32.4%) freedom to discuss problems regarding puberty (25.5%) love affairs (12.7%) and sexuality (26.7%) as excellent/good. Of the spouses 12.9% were <20 years 71.9% had low education and 98.8% were employed. A majority had "planned" the pregnancy and for 79.8% the reason was "husbands wish to have a baby". CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant teenagers were mostly in their late teens from poor families and with low formal education. Though teenagers showed confidence in decision-making the decision to have a pregnancy had mostly been their spouses. Parents and spouses of the teenagers were also young less educated and poor. There was evidence of poor parenting practices.