Perfil das adolescentes grávidas atendidas no Centro de Saúde Materno-Infantil da Mineira (Huambo, Angola)

Abstract

Aim: The research aimed to describe the profile of pregnant adolescents assisted at the Mineira Maternal and Child Health Center (Huambo, Angola). Method: This was a descriptive study, where the data was submitted to a univariate analysis. A total of 170 pregnant adolescents between 14 and 19 years old were randomly surveyed in one of the largest maternal and child care centres in Huambo in Angola from July to December 2019. Results: The average age of the adolescents was 17.53 years old (SD = 1.28); most were single (85%), had completed the first cycle of primary education (59.0%), did not work (92.4%), lived (50.6%) and grew up (56.5%) with their parents, with the majority having the Catholicism as their religious confession (47.1%). The obstetric data reported that most of the adolescents were nulliparous (84.1%), had had no complications from childbirth (84.7%), and had no previous abortion (91.2%). The majority of the adolescents had their first sexual intercourse between 16–19 years (68.2%) with their boyfriend (77.1%), and it was consensual (91.2%). The majority of the partners were aged between 20–22 years, were working (57.0%) and had assumed paternity (89.0%). Conclusion: The results indicated the presence of multiple factors that may influence adolescent pregnancy and showed a need for a profound rethinking of public health policies regarding adolescence.