Sociodemographic determinants of adolescent pregnancy among adolescents aged 15-19 years in Haryana: Insights from NFHS-5 (2019-21)

Abstract

Introduction: Early childbearing is associated with higher risks of maternal complications, adverse neonatal outcomes, and consequences for social and economic well-being. Although national surveys provide descriptive data, very few studies have analysed the determinants of adolescent pregnancy at the state level. Haryana offers a unique context, as rapid urbanisation exists alongside strong socio-cultural traditions. The present study was undertaken to assess the sociodemographic determinants of adolescent pregnancy among women aged 15-19 years in Haryana using data from NFHS-5.

Methods: Cross-sectional secondary data analysis based on the National Family Health Survey- 5 (2019-21), which contains information for women aged 15-49 years who were usual residents of Haryana. The outcome variable is adolescent pregnancy, defined as women aged 15-19 years who were either currently pregnant or had at least one live birth. Analysis was done using the latest freely available version of SPSS. All analyses were weighted using the women’s sampling weight. Descriptive statistics were used to estimate prevalence, and multivariable binary logistic regression was applied to identify independent associations.

Results: In the NFHS-5 sample of 2,215 adolescent girls aged 15–19 years from Haryana, 85 (3.9%) were either currently pregnant or had ever had a live birth. Adolescent pregnancies were seen only among married adolescents. In the logistic regression model, educational attainment emerged as the only significant determinant of adolescent pregnancy. In the adjusted model, wealth index, religion, and place of residence were not significantly associated with adolescent pregnancy.

Conclusion: Adolescent pregnancy in Haryana was confined to married adolescents and strongly associated with lower educational attainment. Education is protective, and interventions that keep girls in school and delay marriage are critical to reducing adolescent pregnancy in the state.