Economic Vulnerability among Girls at Risk for Adolescent Pregnancy: Qualitative Findings among a Clinic Sample of Girls Residing in the U.S.–Mexico Border Region

Abstract

Background: In the U.S., research to identify the risk factors explaining high rates of adolescent pregnancy disproportionately affecting racial/ethnic minorities, including Latinas, have largely focused on social and cultural factors that influence girls’ pregnancy intentions and decisions regarding the use of contraception, as well as girls’ sexual and reproductive decision-making control in relationships. However, economic factors may play a role in increasing girls’ risk for adolescent pregnancy as well. Disproportionately high rates of adolescent pregnancy occur in areas of concentrated poverty, with higher rates among ethnic minorities. This qualitative study used a descriptive, exploratory design with a content analysis approach (1) to describe economic vulnerability in girls’ lives and (2) to identify potential ways in which economic vulnerability may influence risk factors for adolescent pregnancy among adolescent females at high risk for pregnancy recruited from a health clinic by the U.S.–Mexico border in California. Methods: Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted among 21 girls reporting risk factors for pregnancy (including a previous pregnancy, experiences of dating violence, or having ever been diagnosed with an STI) and who were seeking sexual/reproductive health services at a clinic near the U.S.–Mexico border in California. Participants were asked about their family life, economic stressors, characteristics of intimate partner relationships, and future education/career aspirations. Interviews were analyzed using content analysis to identify common themes related to economic vulnerability and risk for pregnancy. Results: Female participants were 17 years of age on average, most (72%) were Latina, and over half (60%) were in a relationship. Participants reported a high level of economic vulnerability at home, which they felt compromised their welfare, negatively affected expectations for future educational goals, and promoted financial dependence for basic needs (e.g., food) on male partners. The latter often compromised girls’ decision-making control with relationship partners over contraceptive use and pregnancy timing. Conclusions: Study findings suggest that economic vulnerability: (a) supports economic reliance on male partners, with implications for male partner control over pregnancy decisions and (b) hinders girls’ expectations for future educational opportunities, which may reduce girls’ prioritization to delay pregnancy.

Money, Economic Abuse, and Food Insecurity: A Qualitative Study among Young Nigerian Women with a History of Intimate Partner Violence

“…Our findings on the lack of financial support for young women to finish their education contribute to a better understanding of the barriers many young women may face in completing their education or vocational training, and in finding work opportunities that allow them to be financially independent and empowered in financial decision-making for them and their families. Such findings are aligned with previous work, and build upon the existing literature to highlight the intersection of structural and social factors that place many young women at risk for experiencing economic vulnerability [5,20,21,27,32].…”

“…Our findings, related to the primary contributing factors of economic vulnerability among young women, are similar to those found in previous work. Multiple studies have documented the lack of prioritizing household resources to support young women's education [27,30,31]. Notably, young women in our study were very aware of and able to describe the specific factors that limited their ability to complete their education, including the lack of funds for their education, the disproportionate burden of household labor put on young women, unplanned pregnancy, and the overall prioritization of male siblings to receive any type of household resources and investment.…”

“…Participant's socio-demographic data, such as age, marital status, and highest level of education, were collected via the eligibility screener and used to characterize the sample. A semi-structured interview guide was used, and included themes identified via the existing empirical literature and from previous work conducted by one of the authors regarding the role of economic vulnerability in influencing IPV [27].…”

Prevalence and factors associated with early childbearing in sub-saharan Africa: evidence from demographic and health surveys of 31 countries

“…Gender norms may also limit women’s agency and decision-making power to make informed choice about their reproductive goals, hence contributing to early childbearing [ 36 ]. Economic vulnerability and limited opportunities for education and employment may push women towards early childbearing as they may perceive motherhood as a more viable path than pursuing other life goals [ 37 , 38 ].…”