Knowledge and attitudes to prevent teenage pregnancy in a school in Loja, Ecuador

Abstract

Introduction: Adolescence is crucial for human development, but teenage pregnancy affects health, society and economy, especially in young people with little education and resources.

General objective: To determine the level of knowledge and attitudes towards the prevention of adolescent pregnancy among students of the Pedro Vicente Maldonado Educational Unit.

Method: The research had a quantitative approach, descriptive scope and cross-sectional design. The population consisted of 167 students, and the sample consisted of 117, selected by stratified probability sampling. The survey was used as a data collection technique, and a validated and reliable questionnaire was used to evaluate knowledge and attitudes.

Results: The predominant sex was female, representing 60.7% of the participants, and the most common age group was middle adolescence, with 59.8%. Most of the students came from nuclear households (76.9 %), and the most practiced religion was Catholic (96.6 %). Regarding the level of knowledge about the prevention of adolescent pregnancy, 54.7% of the participants showed medium knowledge, while 30.8% showed a high level and 14.5% showed low knowledge. Regarding attitudes, no significant difference was observed, since 53.8 % adopted unfavorable attitudes, while 46.2 % manifested favorable attitudes on the subject.

Conclusions: It is concluded that the lack of knowledge about adolescent pregnancy can lead students to adopt unfavorable attitudes towards this problem.