Al-Hikmah University Central Journal
PERCEIVED CONSEQUENCES OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY AMONG IN-SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS IN ILORIN METROPOLIS, KWARA STATE NIGERIA
Abstract
The issue of teenage pregnancy seems to be one of the problems facing not only Nigeria, but several other nations of the world which has significant consequences on female adolescents and can influence the psychosocial life of female child. Thus, the researcher investigates the consequences of teenage pregnancy among in-school adolescents in Ilorin Metropolis of Kwara State. Demographic variables of age and religious affiliation are considered. This research employed the descriptive survey research method design. 200 respondents were randomly selected across the selected schools. One research question was raised and two hypotheses generated to guide the conduct of the study. Data were collected using a researcher designed instrument questionnaire entitled “Consequences of Teenage Pregnancy Questionnaire (CTPQ). Content validity and reliability of the instrument were established. The reliability co-efficient of 0.73 was obtained. Data analysis was done using percentages, mean and Analysis of Variance; all hypotheses were tested at 0.05 alpha level. The findings revealed that teenage pregnancy has great consequences on female in-school adolescents by disrupting her education, drop out from school, teenage death, low self-esteem, among others. It was also discovered that there was no significant difference on the consequences of teenage pregnancy on the basis of age and religion affiliations of the respondents. This signifies that the two hypotheses were not rejected. With the findings of the study, it was recommended that parents should take care of their female children, provide them with basic needs and equip them with reproductive health education in order to prevent them from engaging in risky sexual behaviour and teenage pregnancy, the school teachers and school counsellors should identify students with special sexuality needs and counsel them on that among others.