Factors associated with pregnancy among adolescents of a municipality of northeast of Brazil

Abstract Background Early pregnancy is a prevalent public health issue that impacts on the health and social representations of young women. Objective This study aimed to investigate factors associated with adolescent pregnancy. Method A cross-sectional study was carried out with 234 women aged between 12 and 19 years (108 pregnant and 126 non-pregnant women). A questionnaire containing sociodemographic, obstetrical and behavioral variables was applied. For the analysis, the chi-square or Fisher's exact test was performed at a significance level of 5%. The odds ratio and the 95% confidence interval were used as measures of association between variables. A multiple logistic regression was performed considering the outcome of early pregnancy. Results The number of children, the planning of pregnancy and the use of contraceptive methods were significantly associated with teenage pregnancy (p <0.05). In the regression, number of children (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.10-0.48), exercise of paid activity (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.22-0.94), and use of contraceptive methods (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.21-0.80) are considered protective predictor variables. It was also showed that the non-planning of gravity increased 2.48 times the chance of early pregnancy. Conclusion Adolescent pregnancy is associated with sociodemographic, sexual behavior and family planning conditionalities.