An evolution of socioeconomic related inequality in teenage pregnancy and childbearing in Malawi

Chirwa, Gowokani Chijere; Mazalale, Jacob; Likupe, Gloria; Nkhoma, Dominic; Chiwaula, Levison; Chintsanya, Jesman

Abstract

Background
Teenage pregnancies and childbearing are important health concerns in low-and middleincome countries (LMICs) including Malawi. Addressing these challenges requires, among other things, an understanding of the socioeconomic determinants of and contributors to the inequalities relating to these outcomes. This study investigated the trends of the inequalities and decomposed the underlying key socioeconomic factors which accounted for the inequalities in teenage pregnancy and childbearing in Malawi.
Methods
The study used the 2004, 2010 and 2015–16 series of nationally representative Malawi Demographic Health Survey covering 12,719 women. We used concentration curves to examine the existence of inequalities, and then quantified the extent of inequalities in teenage pregnancies and childbearing using the Erreygers concentration index. Finally, we decomposed concentration index to find out the contribution of the determinants to socioeconomic inequality in teenage pregnancy and childbearing.
Results The teenage pregnancy and childbearing rate averaged 29% (p

Citation

Chirwa, G. C., Mazalale, J., Likupe, G., Nkhoma, D., Chiwaula, L., & Chintsanya, J. (2019). An evolution of socioeconomic related inequality in teenage pregnancy and childbearing in Malawi. PLoS ONE, 14(11), Article e0225374. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0225374

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 4, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Nov 20, 2019
• Publication Date: Nov 20, 2019
• Deposit Date: Jan 21, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 21, 2020
• Journal: PLoS ONE
• Print ISSN: 1932-6203
• Publisher: Public Library of Science
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 14
• Issue: 11
• Article Number: e0225374
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0225374
• Keywords: General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology; General Agricultural and Biological Sciences; General Medicine
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3214539
• Contract Date: Jan 21, 2020