42 Impact of Social and Cultural Factors on Teen Pregnancy
Akella, et al.
Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice Volume 8, Issue 1 Spring 2015
http://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/jhdrp/
girls 18-19 in 2012. Births to teen’s age 18-19 accounted for the majority of all teen births. In the
United States, 71 percent of all births were to teenagers in the age group of 18-19 (National
Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2014
2
).
Moreover, considerable disparities exist in the rates of teenage pregnancies amongst the
racial and ethnic groups within the country. African American and Hispanic youth contribute to
57 percent of teen births even though they represent 35 percent of the total population of 15-19
year old females in the United States (Centers for Disease Control, 2010). Teen birth rates
amongst Latino and African American youth in the age group of 15 to 17 are 83 and 64 per 1000,
which is more than two times that of Caucasian girls (Federal Interagency Forum on Child and
Family Statistics, 2007). Teen birth rate among non-Hispanic white teens was 21 births per
1,000. Teen birth rate among non-Hispanic black teens was 44 births per 1,000. The Latina teen
birth rate was 46.3 births per 1,000 and the teen birth rate among American Indian or Alaska
Native teens was 35 births per 1,000 teens. For Asian or Pacific Islander, the teen birth rate was
10 births per 1,000 teens (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2014
1
).
According to the research minority populations in the United States faces problems
involving poverty, lack of education and quality healthcare. Black, Hispanic and Native
American youth live in families with incomes at or below 200 percent federal poverty level
(Healthy Teen Network, 2008). Poverty has a negative effect on the entire household,
community, our nation and global economy. Children coming from an environment of poverty
may be affected by a multitude of social factors. These social factors does not include teen
pregnancy alone, but also community violence, gang membership involvement, alcohol and
substance abuse and a high incidence of illiteracy. There is also the likelihood of the cycle of
teen pregnancy to continue within the family (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy,
2013). Researchers have stated that there happens to be a direct relationship between teenage
pregnancy and poverty. According to Moore, 1993, as cited in Healthy Teen Network, 2008: 3,
“There is a high correlation between living in poverty, lack of education and early childbirth.”
Early parenting can lead to negative consequences like less education, lower earning potential
and a greater likelihood of a life of poverty. Children born to teen parents can have a greater
tendency to emulate early sexual behaviors and motherhood, thus perpetuating the cycle of
poverty among future generations (Healthy Teen Network, 2008). The more people who are
educated in a community, the less likely the number of poor people will exist without the
knowledge and skills necessary to be productive in the workforce. Preventing teen pregnancy is
just one way to positively impact critical social issues, but preventing or breaking the cycle of
poverty makes a tremendous impact on our nation (Furstenberg, 2008).
This raises questions about the relationship between factors like ethnicity and race,
cultural and social variables and teenage pregnancy. Issues emerge between the culture of racial
groups, their customs, economic background and its influence on teenage pregnancies. This
research study seeks to connect the personality and actions of teenagers, their perceptions and
attitudes towards sex and early motherhood with their external cultural and social environment
prevailing in their community. Does our environment cause our behavior? Does interaction
between environment, behavior and a person’s psychological processes cause external actions?
Bandura’s Social Learning Theory enables explaining and influencing behavior (Bandura and
Walters, 1963). The authors will concentrate on African American minority section of the
teenage population. They will deconstruct the behavior of African American teenagers within the
model of Social Learning Theory to gain insights about their behavior, perceptions, actions and
attitudes. This study will make a contribution towards this theoretical model thereby providing
possible interventions (i.e., recommendations) to circumvent the problem of teenage pregnancy.