ASSESSING ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY IN AN URBAN POPULATION

Abstract

This study explored the utility of routinely collected data for planning adolescent pregnancy prevention programs, using Baltimore as a model. The major objective was to assess the influence of community characteristics on the magnitude of adolescent childbearing and abortion, and their relationship, controlling for race.

State and local computer files provided live birth and abortion data for Baltimore residents in 1983. Census data provided denominators for race-specific birth and abortion rates for 15-17 year olds for each of the City's 26 planning districts (PDs), as well as measures of population characteristics and socio-economic status (SES) indicators, e.g. % < poverty level, fertility rate for 35-44 year old women, % < high school graduates. Pearson product-moment correlations were used to assess relationships among PD characteristics and between adolescent birth- and abortion rates and PD characteristics.

PD birthrates/1000 adolescents (range: 0-134.3 whites and 6.1-113.6 blacks) were strongly associated by race (r=.55, p<.01). PD abortion rates (range: 0-53.0 whites and 19.5-96.2 blacks) were not associated by race (r=.02, p<.48).

Among whites, both PD abortion rates and birthrates were significantly inversely associated with most SES indicators. Anong blacks, however, only birthrates were significantly negatively associated with SES. Abortion rates had a weak but direct association with SES indicators. The stability of these findings was assessed for the period 1981-1985.

The study considers the implications of population differences such as these for the design of pregnancy prevention programs.

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