Socio-economic Factors Influencing Adolescents’ Pregnancies in Secondary Schools: The Case of Mvomero District

This study assessed socio - economic factors influencing adolescents’ pregnancies in secondary schools in Mvomero District Morogoro Tanzania. Three research objectives were addressed namely (1) examine the economic factors causing adolescents’ pregnancies (2) investigate the extent to which government policies alleviate the problem of adolescents pregnancies (3) investigate the parents efforts to alleviate adolescents’ pregnancies. The study used qualitative approach to collect, analyse and report the findings. The study was conducted in Mvomero district. The study applied a case study design. The sample involved a total of 330 respondents which included 280 students, 7 heads of schools, 7 matrons, 7 discipline masters, 28 parents and 1 district secondary education officer. The respondents were obtained through purposive and randomly sampling. Data was obtained through interview, questionnaire and documentary review, from seven (7) secondary schools. In analyzing data, qualitative data were analysed using statistics methods like percentage and tables. Results from the study revealed that several factors leading to adolescents’ pregnancies include parents/guardian economic status, physiolocal needs, globalization, peer pressure, type of girls’ family, non use of contraceptives and sexual abuse/violence. Also the findings revealed that poverty, lack of sex education, loose of love, care and appreciation also seem to be factors for adolescents’ pregnancies. Finally the study recommends that government in collaboration with department of secondary education should provide hostels, sex education and parents should full engage in preventing adolescents pregnancies