Determinants of adolescent fertility in Malawi

Abstract

High adolescent fertility is recognized as a global challenge given its adverse consequences. As such understanding the factors that influence adolescent fertility is critical to addressing this challenge. This study aims at examining the causes of adolescent fertility in Malawi using the 2010 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey. Bivariate analyses and logistic regressions were used to identify the determinants of adolescent fertility while Bongaarts model was used to determine proximate determinants of adolescent fertility. The study revealed that 20% of the adolescent had ever given birth. The most important factors influencing adolescent fertility in Malawi are age, region, type of residence, marital status, education level and knowledge and use of family planning. Bongaarts model revealed that the suppressing effects of marriage are significant followed by the effects of postpartum infecundability and contraception. These determinants of adolescent fertility as revealed in this study should be the center of adolescent sexual and reproductive health interventions.

Keywords: Adolescent fertility, Determinants, Demographic and Health Survey, Malawi