Teenage fertility trends and poverty: implications for adolescent mothers in Ghana

Mavis Dako-Gyeke, University of Ghana
Phyllis Dako-Gyeke, University of Ghana

Adolescent fertility has become a matter of global concern because previous research shows that early childbearing forecloses educational opportunities for adolescent mothers and thus restricts their future opportunities for social and economic advancement. This study seeks to describe adolescent fertility trends in Ghana and identify possible associations between variables that impact poverty status of adolescent mothers. The data from recent Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in Ghana in 1998, 2003 and 2008 will be used. Bi-variate analysis will be conducted to identify associations between variables that determine economic status of adolescent mothers. A comparison of the datasets indicates that over the past ten years, there has been no substantial change in the overall percentage of female adolescents who have begun childbearing. This study has several policy implications and will therefore offer the much needed attention for the issue of adolescent fertility in Ghana by engaging both academics and policy makers.