Socioeconomic, Demographic, and Educational Characteristics of Pregnant Adolescents

Abstract

The socioeconomic, demographic, and educational characteristics of 24 pregnant and 24 non‐pregnant adolescents, 17 years and under, living in Travis County, Texas, were deter mined. The objectives of phase 1 of an ongoing longitudinal study were to initiate the study, to obtain base line data, and to define the descriptive data. Findings in the population studied in cluded the following: 38 percent of the pregnant adolescents were Mexican‐American; 38 per cent of the pregnant adolescents had a gynecologic age of 3 or less; the grade level discrepancy ranged from 1 to 3 years for all subjects, both controls and pregnant adolescents; and 63 per cent of the students planned to place their child in the school nursery while completing their education. Socioeconomic and demographic data included age, age at menarche, home environment, parents' occupation and educational level, number of children living at home, and percentage of students working while they are pregnant.