Authors : Chandrika Doddihal, S M Katli
DOI : 10.18231/j.jchm.2019.012
Volume : 6
Issue : 2
Year : 2019
Page No : 55-58
Context: In recent decades adolescent pregnancy has become an important health issue in a great number of countries both developed and developing. Pregnancy in young women occurs as a result of early marriages and most importantly due to lack of awareness about contraception or its inappropriate usage.
Aims: 1.To assess the contraceptive knowledge among pregnant adolescents and; 2.To study the factors influencing contraceptive knowledge.
Settings and Design: A cross sectional study in a rural field practice area of a medical college which is resettlement area. The study was conducted in a period of 6 months
Methods and Materials: Study was conducted in 144 rural adolescent pregnant girls to know about their awareness about contraception and its socio-demographic drivers through a semi structured pretested questionnaire.
Statistical Analysis Used: Numerical variables were analyzed by means and standard deviations and categorical data were summarized using percentages. Chi square test was used to find the association between various socio demographic variables and awareness about contraception.
Results: Mean age of the participants was 17.8 years, were housewives and belonged to lower socio-economic status. Half of them were aware about some method of contraception and television was the most common source of awareness. However, none used any method of contraception.
Conclusions: Contraceptive awareness among married adolescent pregnant girls is very low and is majorly through television. Further mass media and health educational activities targeting adolescents in difficult areas are required to enhance contraceptive awareness.
Keywords: Contraception, Pregnant adolescents, India.