PUBLIC OPINION TOWARDS ADOLESCENT PREGNANCIES AND EXPECTATIONS FROM HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

Abstract

Objectives: Complications arising from pregnancies during adolescence bring along very important health problems in terms of both women's health and babies' health. Therefore, society's perspective on adolescent pregnancies and expectations from healthcare professionals will guide the measures to be taken to protect maternal health under the age of 18. This study aims to identify the determinants of society’s point of view regarding adolescent pregnancies and to determine expectations from healthcare workers. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study enrolled randomly selected 980 subjects who volunteered to join the study, and answered a questionnaire composed of 39 questions. The questionnaire was consulted by multi-disciplinary to confirm the accuracy of the questions. Results: The mean age was 41.0 (range: 19-64, Male-Female ratio 1:1.15) and 71.6% were married. The majority (80.3%) argued that girls under the age of 19 should not have children, and this is significantly affected by income level and education. It has been observed that the view that reducing adolescent pregnancies will positively affect maternal and neonatal mortality rates is related to the education and income level of the participants. (p=0.001 and p=0.024). 66.1% of the respondents stated that adolescent pregnancies could be reduced by providing adequate information from primary healthcare institutions rather than other sources. In addition, primary healthcare institutions were shown as the primary center in the follow-up of these pregnancies by .66.1% of the participants. Conclusion: It is important to inform society about this issue in the prevention of adolescent pregnancies, which have significant risks for maternal and infant health. Society believes that the solution to this problem can be provided by primary health care services.