Causes, enablers and perceived solutions to teenage pregnancy: a qualitative study in a South-Western State in Nigeria

INTRODUCTION: teenage pregnancy remains a major public health issue in Nigeria with many teenagers being fated to early motherhood resulting in a life filled with turmoil. The aim of this study was to explore the perspectives of teachers and students of high schools on the causes, enablers and solutions to teenage pregnancy. METHODS: this study employed an exploratory design using a qualitative approach. Participants were selected using purposive sampling technique and a total number of 33 participants interviewed. Data collection was done by means of audio-recorded semi-structured interviews and data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach. Descriptive statistics were used to generate participants' demographic profile. RESULTS: three themes emerged from the study. They include perception of teachers and students on the causes of teenage pregnancy, perceived enablers of teenage pregnancy and solutions to teenage pregnancy. Findings revealed that the majority of the participants had knowledge of teenage pregnancy but had limited knowledge of contraceptives, particularly the students. Almost all participants viewed teenage pregnancy as a more common occurrence in their community than in schools. Participants identified poverty, peer pressure and poor parental control as causes of teenage pregnancy. Participants further identified poverty, substance abuse and lack of education as enablers of teenage pregnancy while perceived solutions included poverty eradication, abstinence from sexual activities, girl child education and government involvement. Majority of the participants disagreed with giving condoms to teenagers in schools. CONCLUSION: among other causes of teenage pregnancy identified in this study, poverty was a recurring theme. Therefore, there is, a need for the government of Nigeria to combat poverty at all levels, as a strategy to curb teenage pregnancy while not neglecting other causes.