Reasons for Teenage Pregnancy as Experienced by School Dropout Teen Mothers in Katavi Region, Tanzania
Keywords:
Teenage Pregnancy, Teen Mothers, Drop out of School, TanzaniaAbstract
Background: Teenage pregnancy, defined as pregnancy between 10 and 19 years, carries significant health risks. In Tanzania, it has led to the expulsion of over 70,000 schoolgirls between 2003 and 2015, with Katavi being particularly affected. Limited research has examined the causes from the perspective of school dropout teen mothers, a gap this study sought to fill.
Methods: We employed a qualitative case study involving purposively sampled 18 teen mothers who dropped out of school (2017-2019). We conducted in-depth interviews with the study participants using an interview guide. We audio-recorded interviews in Kiswahili. The recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim, translated into English, and qualitative thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The findings were presented in terms of themes and sub-themes.
Results: The findings indicate that teenage pregnancy arises from factors operating at multiple levels: individual, family, community, and societal. At the individual level, pregnancy was linked to students’ limited life skills and strong sexual desire. At the family level, poverty and financial instability-manifested through food insecurity, inability to meet basic needs, and lack of safe accommodation were key contributors. At the community level, unregulated student housing in school neighborhoods created risky environments. At the societal level, the findings point to systemic government failures to adequately provide food and accommodation in school-owned hostels.
Conclusion: Teenage pregnancy is a multifaceted problem driven by individual, family, community, and societal factors, including limited life skills, poverty, unsafe housing, unregulated student accommodation, and inadequate government support Comprehensive, multi-level interventions are required that strengthen individual capacities, family support, community regulation, and national policies to ensure safe and affordable school accommodation.
