EFFECTS OF EARLY CHILDBEARING AS WELL AS VARIOUS HEALTH
CONSEQUENCES TO THE ADOLESCENT BODY
MEMBERS:
Elaira Yesha L. Oblenida
Ma. Eloisa Faye R. Oblepias
Sofia Mae R. Pardines
Erika E. Racoma
Anika Celina R. Rubia
INTRODUCTION
Early childbearing (pregnancy and delivery during adolescence) is defined as a
pregnancy in girls within the ages 10-19 years old. It is a global problem and creates
issues for all those concerned about young women and to the children’s health and well
being. It oftenly occur in poorer and marginalized communities. Based on the
researcher’s statistics (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund) each
day 20,000 girls under the age of 18 give birth in a total of 12 million per year in
developing countries.
In the Philippines, according to the Population Commission (PopCom) they
reported that 24 babies are born to teenage mothers every hour. About 200,000 teens in
the Philippines get pregnant annually most of whom are 15 to 19 years of age. The
Philippines has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates among the ASEAN members
states despite the decrease of total live births of teenage mothers (aged 10-19) in 2016
(203,085) to 183,000 in 2019. As of 2021, the propose prevention of Adolescent
Pregnancy Act is being pushed to pass into the law. It proposes the creation of a teenage
pregnancy prevention council, and pushes for comprehensive sex education and more
social services for teen parents.
The problem is increasing among teenagers in many developed and rapidly
urbanizing developing countries. Because of the problem the researchers aim to know the
effect of early childbearing and various consequences to the adolescent body by finding
respondents from Luisiana in order to raise awareness about the rising casualties of early
childbearing.
Searching for the effects of early childbearing as well as various health
consequences to the adolescent body, is to make everyone aware especially the youths
that having knowledge is important in order to know how to prevent early childbearing
and to know how to respect adolescents in this situation.
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
1. Determine the level of the root of early childbearing.
a. Social Anxiety
b. Curiosity
c. Lack of Guidance
2. What is the status of the pregnant young adolescent in terms of:
a. Mental Health
b. Physical Health
c. Behavioral Acts
3. Is there a significant effect on the adolescent body during early childbearing?
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Independent Variable Dependent Variable
ROOTS OF EARLY VARIOUS HEALTH
CHILDBEARING: CONSEQUENCES TO THE
ADOLESCENT BODY:
a. Social Anxiety
b. Curiosity a. Mental Health
c. Lack of Guidance b. Physical Health
c. Behavioral Acts
This study seeks to determine the effects of early childbearing as well as
various health consequences to the adolescent body. The paradigm has two variables, the
independent and dependent variable. The independent variables are the roots of early
childbearing where social anxiety, curiosity and lack of guidance are some of the
common roots of early childbearing. Social Anxiety has a lot of forms some maybe fear
of communication and lack of connection that sometimes results to lack of knowledge on
what to avoid. Because of curiosity there comes a point where the unexpected happens to
the teen thinking that what they did would be the answer to their questions. Low level of
family connectedness is an example of lack of guidance. While in the dependent variable
consist of various health consequences to the adolescent body like mental health, physical
health and behavioral act. Because of early childbearing their mental health and physical
health might face various consequences that includes emotional, phycological and social
well-being. A pregnant or an adolescent mother’s behavior might also be affected due to
increased hormones and significant levels of stress resulting to post-partum depression
and being emotional.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
The Social Learning Theory proposed by Albert Bandura highlights how both
environmental and cognitive factors interact to influence human learning and behavior.
And it describes the importance of observing, modeling, and imitating the behaviors,
attitudes, and emotional reactions of others. The Theory of Social Learning explains that
adolescents learn behaviors by experiencing, observing, and interacting with individuals
in their environment.
The theory is composed of three parts. The first is “Observational Learning”,
which explains that any individual that is observed is called a model. The second is the
“Mediational Processes”, which cover that individuals do not automatically observe the
behavior of a model and imitate it. There is some thought prior to imitation, and this
consideration is called the mediational process. And lastly the “Critical Evaluation”,
which said that the social learning approach takes thought processes into acknowledging
the role that the adolescents play in deciding whether the behavior is to be imitated or
not.
In society, adolescents are surrounded by many influential models, such as
parents, characters on television, friends within their group, and teachers at school.
Parents serve as important socializing for adolescents, especially in their role as
disciplinarians. Based on (Bandura 1986), through consistent use of reward and
discipline, parents teach adolescents what behaviors are considered acceptable and
unacceptable. Over time, adolescents who experience consistent parental discipline
engage in acceptable social behaviors because they develop the ability to foresee future
consequences. The influence of early childbearing is the impact of exposure to sexual
content on the behaviors of youth. Adolescents respond to media content, with a large
amount of sexual content on television and in social environments. Bandura’s social
learning theory emphasizes the environmental impact of role models on both mental and
behavioral of adolescents.
HYPOTHESIS
SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study was particularly beneficial to the following people:
Educators. Having knowledge of overall impact in early childbearing, the teachers will
be responsible in monitoring the student’s involvement in socializing and their behavioral
acts.
Future researchers. This group of people will use this study if the topic that they will be
working on in the future is related to this one.
Parents. The effect of early childbearing may help understand how family connectedness
can impact the adolescents development in the present and in the future and find ways to
regulate the connectedness between parent and child.
Youths. This study is beneficial to the youths so that they become aware of the effects of
early childbearing to the adolescent body.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
The technical terms used in this study:
Adolescents Early Childbearing. It refers to person that experiences pregnancy
at a young age.
Anxiety Disorder. It refers to uncontrolled and increased amount of anxiety and
stress experienced during pregnancy.
Behavioral Act. It refers to the attitude and behavior of an early child bearer.
Contraceptive Devices. It refers to any device used to prevent pregnancy on
women.
Early Childbearing. It refers to pregnancy in girls ages 10-19 years old.
Eclampsia. It refers to a condition of a pregnant women experiencing high blood
pressure.
Guardians. It refers to the child’s parental figure that guides and support the child
physically and mentally.
Mental Health. It refers to the emotional, psychological, and social well-being of
an individual.
Physical Health. It refers to body growth and normal function of the body.
Post-partum Depression. It refers to the quick drop of hormones (estrogen and
progesterone) of the child bearer after giving birth that sometimes trigger mood swings.
Puerperal Endometritis. It refers to an infection that occurs at the lining of the
uterus after giving birth.
Social Anxiety. It refers to intense fear of socializing (e.g. communicating,
participating in group works or any form of activities that includes working with other
people).
