Determinants of adolescent childbearing in Ethiopia, analysis of 2016 Ethiopian demographic and health survey: a case-control study

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy and birth complications experienced by adolescents are also problems of older women. But it is severe among the young due to physical immaturity and social condemnation from basic reproductive health services. The study was aimed to analyze determinants of adolescent childbearing in Ethiopia using the Ethiopian demographic and health survey. METHOD: The data source for this study was the 2016 demographic and health survey. Records of 359 cases and 1436 randomly selected controls (1:4 ratio) were included in the analysis. Adolescent childbearing was the main outcome variable and the independent variables were sociodemographic and sexual & reproductive factors. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with adolescent childbearing. RESULT: The mean age of girls at first cohabitation was 15.28 ±1.64 and the mean age of first birth was 16.47±1.35. Adolescent childbearing was found to be higher in the Afar region (34.8%), and the lowest was in Addis Ababa city (4.1%). Finding from the multivariable analysis showed that place of residence, survey time age, and age at first sexual intercourse were the factors that have an association with adolescent childbearing. The odd of childbearing was higher among rural residents (AOR = 1.74; 95 % CI: 1.12, 2.72), early (<18 years) initiation of sexual intercourse (AOR =12.5; 95% CI: 5.97,25.18) and the risk is also higher among older teenagers (AOR =7.92; CI:3.92,15.90). CONCLUSION: Place of residents, age, and timing of first sexual intercourse was found to be the influencing factors of adolescent childbearing. Our finding indicates that the place of residence of the adolescent mothers must be considered in planning policies that attempt to disrupt successive cycles of socioeconomic deprivation. Public health interventions should focus their programs to be based on community and aim on prevention of early sexual intercourse and marriage.