Teenage mothers report poor health and economic functioning in Western Kenya

A call to action

Bibliographic Data

ID19592074
AuthorsAleksandra Jakubowski (0000-0001-7698-1392, Northeastern University, corresponding author), Elizabeth Nakiyingi, Elizabeth Kiyingi Nakiyingi (Northeastern University, corresponding author), Jane Wamae (0000-0002-3963-9018, Community Partners, corresponding author), Samuel Oyugi (Community Partners, corresponding author), Joseph Starnes (0000-0001-7954-5385, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, corresponding author), Sandra Mudhune (0000-0001-9899-4821, Community Partners, corresponding author), Benson Nyawade (Community Partners, corresponding author), Willys Ochieng (Rongo University, corresponding author), Erick Kelvin (Rongo University, corresponding author), Tom Odhong (Rongo University, corresponding author), Ash Rogers (0000-0002-7480-930X, Community Partners, corresponding author), Richard G Wamai (0000-0001-6566-5159, Northeastern University, corresponding author), Richard Wamai
EditorsKavitha Ranganathan (0000-0002-6877-9079)
Year2025
Volume5
Issue7
Pagese0004732
Publication date2025-07-15
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePLOS Global Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2767-3375 • E-ISSN: 2767-3375
PublisherPublic Library of Science (PLoS) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1371/journal.pgph.0004732
PMID40663514
OpenAlexW4412432008
LanguageEN
References cited52

Teenage pregnancy remains a critical issue in Kenya, with 15% of girls aged 15–19 having been pregnant. Counties in western Kenya experience high teenage pregnancy rates (22–30%) along with high HIV prevalence and widespread poverty. Long-term consequences of teenage pregnancy have been documented in high-income countries, but evidence from the Global South is lacking. Here, we examined the association between teenage pregnancy and adult socio-economic functioning in western Kenya using cross-sectional survey data from Migori County, Kenya. We categorized women into three groups: adult mothers (first child ≥20 years), teenage mothers to 1 child (had 1 child before age 20), and teenage mothers to 2 + children (had 2 or more children before age 20). We then compared adult socioeconomic and health outcomes of these groups. We found that among 6,089 mothers, 45.2% had their first child during adolescence. Compared to adult mothers, teenage mothers were significantly less likely to complete primary education: a 12.2 percentage point (pp) reduction (95% CI: -14.9, -9.4) among teenage mothers to 1 child and 27.6 pp reduction (95% CI: -31.4, -23.8) among teenage mothers to 2 + children. Teenage mothers were also more likely to have loans and experience food insecurity. The risk of experiencing the death of a child increased from 3.4% among adult mothers to 15.3% among teenage mothers to 2 + children, a 4.5-fold increase (p

Environmental health · Kenya · Population · Poverty · Pregnancy · Socioeconomic status · Teenage pregnancy · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · Demography · Global Maternal and Child Health · Medicine · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare · Pediatrics