Social risk factors determining the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents in northern Peru

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.216592530078

• Palavras-chave: Sexual and reproductive health, teenage pregnancy, social risk, adolescents

• Keywords: Sexual and reproductive health, teenage pregnancy, social risk, adolescents

• Abstract:

  Introduction: Teenage pregnancy is associated with significant educational disadvantages and lower-paying, less satisfying jobs. The younger a teenager is when she has her first child, the greater the likelihood of having more children, which means that the socioeconomic consequences will be more drastic.
  Objective: To identify the social risk factors that determine adolescent sexual and reproductive health in northern Peru. 
  Methods: Quantitative, non-experimental study with a correlational analytical design. The sample was represented by social, economic, and health indicators expressed as ratios or proportions. The variables were compiled from official government databases, such as the Ministry of Social Inclusion's Red Informa and the Regional Information System for Decision-Making (SIRTOD). The data were analyzed using EViews 12, an econometric statistical program that generates models and scenarios.
  Results: School dropout is an indicator that is directly and significantly linked to adolescent pregnancy R2= 64.19; p value = 0.023. Access to health care with an average coverage of 33.7%, access to the comprehensive health system 66.8% and the average poverty rate of 24% are the most notable socioeconomic indicators. The adolescent pregnancy rate has been declining over the last five years (2019–2023), from 12.4% in 2019 to 8.2% in 2023.
  Conclusion: School dropout is a determining indicator of the social risk model of teenage pregnancy.