Caregiver’s Knowledge, perception and mitigation strategies towards teenage pregnancy Prevalence in Siaya County, Kenya

Teenage pregnancy is the percentage of pregnant women aged 19 years or younger in a given period of time. Its affects an estimated 21 million pregnancies each year in LMICs, of which approximately 50% are unintended and which resulted in an estimated 12 million birth. In Africa, the rate of teenage pregnancy is 118 per 1000 females with 700,000 mortalities each year. In Kenya, the prevalence of teenage pregnancy is 15% while 21% in Siaya County. The high percentage in teenage pregnancy prevalence is attributed by factors such as peer pressure, poverty, lack of stable family structure, cultural practices, and lack of education on sexuality among others. In mitigation of teenage pregnancy, caregivers play critical role which is closely linked to their perceptions and knowledge of teenage pregnancy. Gaining an understanding of caregiver perception and knowledge regarding teenage pregnancy and their role in mitigating the issue could help inform the development of effective interventions and policies. Studies specifically focusing on caregiver’s knowledge, perceptions and mitigation strategies in Siaya County have been lacking. Therefore, the goal of this study to determine caregiver’s knowledge, perceptions and mitigation strategies towards teenage pregnancy prevalence in Siaya County. The specific objectives were to determining the prevalence of teenage pregnancy, determine the knowledge of caregiver towards teenage pregnancy, to determine the perception of caregiver’s towards teenage pregnancy and to establish the strategies put in place by caregivers in the mitigation of teenage pregnancy and to determine the association between caregiver socio-demographic attributes and teenage pregnancy prevalence in Siaya County. A cross-sectional study design was employed in this study.Pre-tested questionnaires and Key Informant Interview guide were used to collect data. A multi-stage cluster sampling technique was used to select a total of 319 households, while purposive sampling was used to select 6 key informants who participated in the study. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test of independence were used to analyse quantitative data with the aid of SPSS version 23. Qualitative data were thematically analysed by using Nvivo software The study findings revealed that the majority of caregivers displaying knowledge on teenage pregnancy based on a five-point Likert scale while had experience with a pregnant teenager. Caregivers generally held negative perceptions of teenage pregnancy but expressed positive perception towards perceived mitigation strategies listed, as indicated by weighted averages. Although caregivers agreed with practicing some of mitigation strategies, they disagreed with others. Additionally, the study findings demonstrated that no statistically significant relationships were found between gender (P=0.218), age (P=0.665), marital status (P=0.752), occupation status (P=0.866), education level(P=0.113), and teenage pregnancy prevalence. Religion (P≤0.050), on the other hand, exhibited a significant influence on teenage pregnancy prevalence in Siaya County. The results of this study provide valuable insights into caregiver perceptions of teenage pregnancy and the mitigation methods they employed. The findings will inform the development of policies and interventions that address teenage pregnancy, which could help to identify best practices, challenges, and gaps in mitigating the problem.