Pregnant adolescents’ health protective behaviors and their socioeconomic status

Abstract EN

Objectives : The study aims to assess the pregnant adolescents’ health protective behaviors which include : the physical, psychological and social ones and their relations to the socioeconomic status.

Methodology : A purposive sample, of (200) pregnant adolescents, was selected of (6) Primary Health Care Centers in Baghdad City.

These pregnant adolescents have presented the age group of (10-22) years old.

A questionnaire was constructed for the purpose of the study, it was composed of (4) major parts, and the overall items, which were included in the questionnaire, were (173) item.

Reliability and validity of the questionnaire were determined through a pilot study which was carried out during the period of February 15th 2008 through March 15th 2008.

The study instrument and structured interview technique were used as means of data collection.

The data were analyzed through the application of the descriptive statistical data analysis approach (Frequency and Percentage) and the inferential statistical data analysis approach (ANOVA).

Results : The results of the study had revealed that the majority of the sample was within the late adolescence period of (18-22) years old.

They were low educated.

As a matter of fact, some of them were unable to read and write.

Most of the pregnant adolescents were living in a low socioeconomic level.

Therefore, the impact of their socioeconomic status on the health protective behaviors was only on the physical aspect, this is due to their big concern about the current status of pregnancy.

The majority of them had a moderate level of health protective behaviors.

Recommendations : The study recommended that there is a necessity for designing health education oriented program which can be presented to adolescent females to prepare them for a healthy marriage and pregnancy, and necessity for coordinating efforts between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education to increase the females’ education, particularly adolescents, in Iraq.