A New Zealand Health Issue : Teen Pregnancies

“HealthyPeople.gov” (2017), defines social determinants as conditions in which people are born, live, work and age. All of these factors affect our health. Physical determinants of health impact a wide range of health, functioning, and quality – of – life. It is also explained social and physical determinants of health are often results of decisions made at higher levels of society.

When we look at influences, it is hard to say what precisely is the main pressure of teen pregnancies in the United States is. Each year, almost 750,000 teenage women, in the United States of America, ages 15 to 19 become pregnant (U.S. Teenage Pregnancy Statistics, 2006). Worldwide, rates of

In certain provinces, teen pregnancy rates appear to be declining, however in other provinces rates appear to be rising. In provinces like Winnipeg, Calgary and Ontario rates have been the highest Canada has seen within the last 40 years. Evidence has suggested that socio-economics played a major role in the fluctuation of teen pregnancy rates. Teen girls who lacked in education were more likely to become pregnant and also live below the poverty lines. Canada’s decrease in teen pregnancy rates were a result of contraceptives becoming more available in public places such as schools, and within their personal lives. However in communities north of the GTA, there are higher rates of pregnancy. Aboriginal do not have the same accessibility as others do, which is why teen pregnancy rates are above the national average. Other reasons contributing to the rise of pregnancy with first nation teen girls are the socio-economics as well as factors leading to oppression within that community. Teens trying to finish school while pregnant have less successful rates of gaining more education because of the high cost of raising their

Based on the cross-contextual analysis and evidence, adolescent pregnancy seems to be a glaring issue. This is due to the fact, that all statistical findings point to the same direction: expressions practiced among the ethnic/racial groups towards the issue. Therefore, will provide analysis on the external factors: programs, policies, and social conditions in the following

To illuminate some light on this issue, Dotinga (2008) defined epidemiology as the survey of the distribution and factors of health-based issues in particular populations, and use of this survey to manage health problems. A simple definition of epidemiology is observing the variation between a health professional and an epidemiology expert. A health care expert examines and diagnoses the patient and decides the best form of treatment that suits the person. The epidemiologist analyzes the entire population and intervenes to control the health problems. Teen pregnancy fits in here in public health (Background on Teenage Pregnancy).

For many years teen pregnancy has been a national social problem. Views have changed over the years as society has started to adapt to the thought of teen pregnancy. “Growing evidence suggests that pre-existing academic and economic hardships play a role in the continuing struggles of teen mothers. While 85% of young women who delay having their first child until at least twenty or twenty – one obtain a high school diploma or GED, only 63% of mothers who give birth by age seventeen do so” (Crosson- Tower p255)

Based on the readily available images broadcast from films, MTV and other mass media, one might assume that the teen pregnancy epidemic is on the rise. In one respect, this health risk condition has rarely been more culturally visible than it is right now. However, it does bear noting that teen pregnancy has actually been on the decline in the United States over the last two decades. According to the source provided by Sheets (2012), "from 1990 to 2008, the teen pregnancy rate decreased 42 percent (from 117 to 68 pregnancies per 1,000 teen girls)."

Teenage birth rates, defined as live births per one thousand 15-19-year-old US females, declined by 10% from 2012 to 2013 from 29.4 to 26.5. In fact, the birth rate has been on a steady decline over the past 20 years, from 61.8 in 1991 to 26.5 in 2013. Teenage pregnancy represents both a health and social inequality in our society. Specifically, teenage childbearing is a public health issue because teenage mothers are more likely to experience negative social outcomes such as dropping out of school. This is a self-reinforcing cycle, as children of teenage mothers face higher chances of poor academic achievement as well as getting pregnant or getting someone else pregnant in their teenage years (CDC). Although the overall rates of teenage pregnancy have dropped, ultimately, the variations in the rates reflect the intersecting disparities regarding race and ethnicity, income inequality, geography, and environmental factors, which in turn affect access to medical care, education, and resources.

Then, following connecting the causes and responses to teenage pregnancy and parenthood, the validity and effectiveness of the policy responses will be assessed. Successes and shortcomings will be considered, along with suggestions as to what policy and structural changes would be more advantageous. Finally, this paper will conclude that teen pregnancy is a structural issue not individual one, if it can even be considered an issue at all. Policy changes alone will not be sufficient, as social and economic disadvantage does not go away if one doesn’t get pregnant. Instead, it involves targeting societal values at their root, which is not socially or economically as simple as just introducing reports and growing a social panic largely against those who already face many obstacles.

Young mothers tend to struggle to feed their children especially if they are single parents and they have to work. In research, done by Penman-Aguilar, Carter, Senead, and Kourtis, it explained the socioeconomic disadvantages related to the social determinant of teen childbearing. They first explained that the birth rate among teenagers in the United States has decreased drastically during the past few years, but they also explained that even though the numbers have dropped teens having a child so young can limit ones social and financial well-being (Penman-Aguilar et al. 2013, pg. 6). The researchers’ as well explained that teen motherhood has substantial costs for both the mother and the infant; teen motherhood can be considered that it is an indicator of suboptimal sexual health. According to Penman-Aguilar et al. (2013), social determinants of health are “complex, integrated, and overlapping social structures and economic systems are linked to lack of opportunity and to a lack of resources to protect, improve, and maintain health” (pg. 6), here it is explained that teen motherhood can be beyond the family or the individual. This was an important part of the opening of their research because it explains how there are possible theories about community-level socioeconomic factors may also contribute to teen

In the 1950s, the frequency of teenage births in the United States was already high, and since that, time has decreased, although the number of births outside marriage has increased. Thus, in 1990 the rate was 61.8 births, pregnancy rate - 116.9 per 1,000. The incidence of teenage pregnancy has decreased significantly in the 1990s. This decline is observed in all racial groups, but Teenagers, African Americans and Hispanic teens remain higher frequency compared with Americans of European and Asian origin. Guttmacher Institute, about 25% of this decline carried her share of sexual abstinence and 75% - on the effective use of contraceptives. However, in 2006 the first time in 14 years, the incidence of teenage births has increased. This would imply that the incidence rates of teenage pregnancy are also on the rise, but marked by the rise could be linked to other sources: for example, reducing the number of abortions or a decrease in the number of abortions.

Social determinants of health are financial and social conditions which impact the condition of individuals and groups. These conditions are formed by the measure of cash, power, and assets which individuals require, all of which are affected by approach decisions. Social determinant of health affect influences which are linked to health results. Influences linked to health results include: How a man creates amid the initial few years of life (early adolescence growth). The amount of training a man's acquires. Obtaining and keeping employment. What sort of work a man does. Having nourishment or having the capacity to get (sustenance security). Having admittance to health administrations and the nature of those administrations; lodging status;

Furthermore, according too Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “social determinants of health are economic and social conditions that influence the health of people and communities.” Money, power, and the resources that individuals have are what form these conditions. Health outcomes are affected by social determinants of health factors such as the ability to obtain and maintain employment, the development of a newborn in early stages

Teen pregnancy is a controversial issue that Americans are facing in society today. The problematic behavior that comes along with teen pregnancy is a cultural phenomenon that exists on many domains. A bulk of the teenage population is starting to believe that teen pregnancy is customary and okay. A persons’ background has a lot to say about how weakly or strongly this norm is enforced. Although it is difficult to get a full variation of pregnancy norms in high schools across the nation, the three main aspects that influence teen pregnancy are race, religion, and social status.

Social determinants of health are the general socio-economic, cultural and environmental conditions in which people are born, grow,