IMPACT OF EARLY PREGNANCY ON ACADEMICS PERFORMANCE OF TEENAGERS IN IPAV COMMUNITY GBOKO L.G.A

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

One major contemporary social problem confronting most countries in the world is early pregnancy. This problem has been a source of worry for policy makers, social workers and other human service providers due to its negative repercussions on the girl-child even from the first world countries such as the United states to the third world countries,  (Grunseit, 2015). In 2011, Grunseit found that the USA had the highest rate of adolescent pregnancy. In addition, he stated that every year more teenage girls become pregnant, many younger than 17 years old. Xinhua (2008) also reported that, nearly 33.4% of recorded childbirths occurred to teenagers between ages thirteen (13) and nineteen (19). This report was based on childbirths that were reported in public hospitals. The situation is bad in the undeveloped and rural areas where traditional birth attendants are used and no statistical records are kept. Most authors have linked poverty to early pregnancy and its subsequent motherhood. They mark poverty as a cause at the same time an effect of early pregnancy. Just as Keller, Hilton & Twumasi-Ankrah (2016) asserted that in rural communities, family financial exigencies and social custom induce girls to stay away from school and enter into early sexual relationships which lead them into getting pregnant at early stages of their lives thereby making them continue to be in the cycle of poverty. This implies that tackling early pregnancy would have a drizzle down effects on poverty and vice-versa. Early pregnancy is one of the social misfortunes that affect society. The existence of early pregnancy do not auger well for the improvement of the girl-child. This is attributable to the girls’ age and the deficient of any steady means of assistance to care for the children and themselves when they should have been in school. Early pregnancy among teenagers and its accompanied motherhood are characterized with disgrace, shame, school dropout and atimes hinders individual’s dreams of acquiring higher goals. Approximately 60% of adolescent mothers live in poverty at the time of the birth of their babies, and approximately 73% go on welfare within 5 years of giving birth according to Yampolskaya, Brown, and Greenbaum (2011), “... Cunningham and Boult (2008) affirmed that early pregnancy has a lot of social outcomes which include school drop-out or interrupted schooling, falling victims to abortion, criminal behaviour, child neglect, ostracism, school adjustment difficulties for their children, adoption, lack of social security, poverty, repeated pregnancy and negative effects on domestic life. It is suggested that school drop-out is a “uniquely predictive factor” of teenage pregnancy and a precursor to, rather than a consequence of, becoming pregnant (Bonell et al, 2014). Difficulties with school are accounted for in three inter-linked ways: firstly a strong dislike of school that leads to truancy, dropping out or formal exclusion (Hosie, 2015), also a lack of educational aspirations and attainment (Hobcraft & Kiernan, 2016), and low ambitions and expectations of the education system as being relevant for their future employment (Luker, 2008). Hosie (2015) also found out that bullying by teachers or other students that were instrumental in their dislike of school. Those students whose attendance are poor and who dislike school due to pregnancy have a negative attitude from their schools on disclosure of their condition and are not likely to remain in school than those who had good attendance beforehand (Hosie, 2015). Dilworth (2010) asserted that statistically, teen mothers face a life of wretchedness, have poor levels of education attainment and have less privilege in the workplace than non-parenting teens. From her research she found that on early pregnancy prevention usually look on the negative aspects of being a teen parent. It is also alleged that the relationship between teenage pregnancy and academic performance goes in both directions. Teenagers who become pregnant are more likely to drop out of school and teenagers who drop out of school are more likely to become pregnant. It is against this background that this study seeks to explore the impact of early pregnancy on academic performance of teenagers in love community Gboko L.G.A.

1. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

The growing problem of teenage pregnancy is no doubt a cause for concern. The rate at which adolescents in Nigeria get pregnant is on the increase (Egbule, 2010). It has become a social problem that needs to be addressed. Teenage pregnancy is common in many Sub Saharan Africa countries, including Nigeria. Population Reference Bureau data shows that Sub Saharan Africa has the highest percentage of women age 15- 19 who give birth in a year (PRB 2011).Nigeria’s Demographic and Health Survey (2008) shows that 8 percent of males aged 15-19 and more than 20 percent of girls of the same age group have had sex at age 15. The survey also indicated that 21 percent of women age 15-19 are already mothers, 4.3 percent are pregnant with first child and 25.2 percent have begun childbearing. Early exposure to sexual relationships for girl leads to the risk of early pregnancy and childbearing, premature drop-out of school, early marriage, early separation or divorce, high exposure to HIV/AIDS, early entrance into the informal labor force and poverty(Manning, 2013; IsiugoAbanihe, 2012). These outcomes limit the quantity and the quality of human capital girls develop (Shariff 2010). Other researchers have noted that teenage mothers especially those with more than one child are more likely to have a bleak educational future, stunted career and live in poverty (Solomon &Liefield 2012; Nock 2012). It has been observed that teenage pregnancy has remained persistent in our local communities due to various contributing factors and has had negative impacts on the life of the teenagers involved. Panday et al. [2009] affirm that teenage mothers are unlikely to complete high school education (i.e. secondary school education). The non-completion of a secondary school education limit the life earning potentials among the teenage population, which could perpetuate the cycle of impoverishment among them. Based on this, the study is therefore, concerned with the impact of early pregnancy on academics performance of teenagers in Ipav Community Gboko L.G.A

1.3. AIMS OF THE STUDY

The major aim of the study is to examine the impact of early pregnancy on academics performance of teenagers in Ipav Community Gboko L.G.A. Other specific objectives of the study include;

1. To examine the causes of early pregnancy among teenagers.
2. To examine the challenges of early motherhood.
3. To examine the impact of early pregnancy on academic performance of teenagers.
4. To examine the effects of early pregnancy among teenagers.
5. To examine the relationship between early pregnancy and academic performance of teenagers.
6. To examine the strategies to prevent early pregnancy among teenagers.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What are the causes of early pregnancy among teenagers?
2. What are the challenges of early motherhood?
3. What is the impact of early pregnancy on academic performance of teenagers?
4. What are the effects of early pregnancy among teenagers?
5. What is the relationship between early pregnancy and academic performance of teenagers?
6. What are the strategies to prevent early pregnancy among teenagers?

1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

Hypothesis 1

H0: There is no significant impact of early pregnancy on academic performance of teenagers.

H1:  There is a significant impact of early pregnancy on academic performance of teenagers.

Hypothesis 2

H0: There is no significant relationship between early pregnancy and academic performance of teenagers

H1: There is a significant relationship between early pregnancy and academic performance of teenagers

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The finding of this study will be of immense benefit to the following;

• To provide vital information on the possible causes and adverse effects on teenage pregnancy on their academic performance. Such information is very vital in providing lasting solution to the problems.  
• To help parents and teenager to clearly understand the adverse effects of teenage pregnancy with all of its implications
• To provide adequate information to every school in the local government area under study, concerning the various methods that can be used to avoid or prevent teenage pregnancy which could lead to school dropout among the students (especially the sexually active ones).
• This study would also be of immense benefit to students and scholars who are interested in developing further studies on the subject matter.

 1.7 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The study is restricted to the impact of early pregnancy on academics performance of teenagers in Ipav Community Gboko L.G.A.

1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Financial constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview)

Time constraint: The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.

1. DEFINITION OF TERMS 

Pregnancy: the state of being pregnant.

Teenager: A person who is between 13 and 19 years old.

Early pregnancy: pregnancy occurring in women age 19 and/or younger.

Ovum: A female cell of a human being, animal, or plant that can develop into a young human being or animal or plant when fertilized.

Fertility: The state of bring fertile, that is the ability to produce offspring or power of production.

Sexual intercourse: the physical ability of sex, usually describing the act of a man putting his penis inside a woman Virginia.

Contraception: The practice of preventing a woman from becoming pregnant. It is also the method of preventing conception.