Motherhood and induced abortion among teenagers

The study investigates the social background of teenagers before being teenage mothers or having an induced abortion. A discrete-time proportional hazard modelling was used to analyse the longitudinal observations of population-based registers covering all children born in Denmark in 1966, and their parents. Analysis locates risk factors and the over all exposure of these risk factors among the total birth cohort. Teenagers coming from high-risk groups had an increased risk of early childbearing. First-time teen pregnancies were associated with parental substance abuse, separation, child abuse and neglect, psychiatric disorder, and being in care during childhood. Results show a significant social gradient for teenage pregnancies. The teenage mothers were in a more disadvantaged position than pregnant teenagers who had an induced abortion