Repeat Pregnancy among Adolescence in a Northern Province of Thailand

Abstract

Repeat pregnancy affect many aspects of adolescent health. The average duration of repeat adolescent pregnancies has never been investigated. This study aimed to determine survival probability and factors related to repeat pregnancy among adolescent mothers in a northern Thailand province. This was a retrospective descriptive study. The data between 1 October 2014 and 30 September 2019 was obtained from the database of the Ministry of Public Health. In total, 3,610 teenagers had living births and were followed up on for repeat pregnancy.  The follow-up ended on September 30, 2021. The data were analyzed to estimate the survival probability by Kaplan–Meier method. Using Cox regression, the factors associated with repeat pregnancy were determined.      The investigation revealed at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years after adolescent mothers’ first live birth, the survival probability was 97.0 (95% CI: 96.4 to 97.5), 93.2 (95% CI : 92.3 to 93.9), 91.5 (95% CI : 90.6 to 92.4), 90.6 (95% CI : 89.6 to 91.6) and 90.5 (95% CI : 82.0 to 86.0), respectively. Age, education level, marital status, education level status, and method of contraception were statistically significant association with repeat pregnancy. Despite the high survival probability, repeat pregnancy in adolescence remains an issue that must be addressed. It is essential to recommend semi-permanent contraceptives use.