Published Paper


Parental Socio-Economic and Educational Status as Determinants of Teenage Abortion in Nigeria: Evidence from Asaba and Warri

1 Edafe Ulo, 2 Influence Ejirefe, 3 Richard Abayomi Aborisade
Nigeria
Page: 1700-1723
Published on: 2025 December

Abstract

The study investigated the socio-economic and educational background of parents and teenage abortion in Nigeria: evidence from Asaba and Warri. The study is necessary for the Nigeria situation, as it explains teenage abortion as not merely a matter of choice of the teenager involved but closely-knit in socio-economic and education conditions of a family (parents and guidance). Emerging literature indicates that socio-economic factors and education are the main causes of adolescent reproductive practices such as abortion decisions. Information and health care accessibility to adolescents is influenced by parental socio-economic status (SES), including family income, parental occupation, and wealth, thus determining their reproductive decisions. The selected research design is a cross-sectional survey approach. The study population consisted of 500 teenage girls aged 13-18 years living in Asaba and Warri who had 500 – they cannot have 500 parents. Each should have 2 parents (except the demise of one of them). Meanwhile, I don’t think it’s necessary to include the number of their parents if they are not included in the study parents. Parent inclusion criteria specified that participants must be either a biological parent or a legal guardian of a teenage girl within the specified age range, and they must have lived in the study area for at least five years. The stratified random sampling strategy was used to ensure respondents’ proportional representation with regard to socio-economic classes and education levels. The study findings revealed that the SES of parents is a significant factor influencing the reproductive health of adolescents. Another finding reveals that a lack of formal education among parents has a grave effect by restricting their ability to counsel or impart to their children about reproductive health matters. The study concluded that economic and educational disadvantages in families are the determinants of teenage abortion in Asaba and Warri. It was recommended that the government must introduce comprehensive programs that would involve economic empowerment of families living in poverty, adult literacy programs among parents, and provision of increased access to reproductive health services that are friendly to adolescents.

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