Socio-Cultural Factors and Experiences of School Going Teenage Mothers in Rural Zambia: A Phenomenological Study.

BackgroundTeenage pregnancies disproportionately affect developing countries more than developed countries. This study aimed at exploring the social-cultural dynamics and experiences of teenage school-going mothers in a rural district of Eastern Province of Zambia to understand the lived experiences of teenage mothers in-depth. MethodsThis was a phenomenological study done in two schools in one of the provinces with the highest teenage pregnancy rates in Zambia. Data were analysed thematically in a deductive approach using a framework from a recent systematic review done in studies on teenage pregnancies from sub-Saharan Africa. A total of 26 school-going adolescent and young mothers were interviewed. ResultsThe majority came from poor households, rural areas, lacked knowledge and access to sexuality education and contraceptive services before falling pregnant. Cultural beliefs and traditional practices fuel misconceptions on contraceptive and condom use, and create a narrative/expectation among the girls of wanting to experience sex. They experienced rejection and stigma during pregnancy and were now experiencing hardships in fending for themselves and their babies. Contemporary programs were either non-existent or not adequately addressing the economic and psychosocial challenges being faced by teenage mothers highlighting the need for more responsive interventions. ConclusionThis study found that teenage and young mothers who re-entered school were more likely to be from poor and large families, first-borns and in day schools. Traditional beliefs and cultural practices influence They experience discrimination, rejection, low self-esteem and economic hardships. Strengths and Limitations of the StudyO_LIThe study was carried out in a rural district in one of the hard to reach areas in Zambia thus gives insights of the experiences of teenage and young mothers in a typical rural area where there is limited access to interventions such as comprehensive sexuality education and health services. C_LIO_LITo the best of the authors knowledge, this is the first time such a study has been done in Lundazi, a related previous study was done in Lusaka the capital of Zambia which is urban. C_LIO_LIA phenomenological study design gives the in-depth first hand experiences of what teenage and young mothers experience and go through before and during pregnancy, after delivery and when they re-enter school programs. C_LIO_LIThe use of a framework that itemise personal, social, cultural, economic and health related characteristics of teenage and young mothers who re-enter school gives a holistic spectrum of factors that affect teenage and young women in school in rural areas. C_LIO_LIThe main limitation is related to the design which is qualitative in nature and is therefore not representative of other rural areas or generalizable Zambia as a whole. There is therefore need for more research in other rural areas and other representative designs such as quantitative studies. C_LI