Determinants of Adolescent Fertility in Malawi

This study explores the leading causes of adolescent fertility in Malawi as a way to decrease population growth and increase opportunities for young women, who are less likely complete their education and more likely to have larger numbers of children if they have their first as adolescents. The study found that adolescents who were currently or formerly married were the majority of those who had given birth and that those with either no education or above secondary school education were less likely to have given birth than those with just primary school education. Additionally, younger adolescents (15 – 17) were less likely to have given birth than older adolescents (18 – 19), and those living in urban areas were less likely to have given birth than those living in rural areas as well as for those who had knowledge of family planning compared to those who did not. Adolescent fertility was also higher in the Southern Region, then the Northern Region, and then the Central Region. The authors conclude that decreasing early marriages and increasing intervention in the high-risk regions are the best options to decrease adolescent fertility.