Demographic characteristics of fathers of infants born to adolescent mothers in Taiwan
Lu, T.H.; Hwang, M.N.; Suhng, L.A.; Chou, M.C.; Lee, M.C.
Journal of Adolescent Health Official Publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 24(6): 446-448
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 1054-139X PMID: 10401974 DOI: 10.1016/s1054-139x(98)00085-8Document Number: 533531
It has been well accepted that effective programs for prevention of adolescent pregnancy should involve adolescent women and their partners. Using data from certificates of live births in Taichung County, Taiwan, in 1994, the demographic characteristics of fathers whose infants were born to adolescent women were compared with a matched group fathers whose infants were born to women aged > or =20 years. Most of the fathers of infants born to adolescent women were adults: 57% of the fathers of infants born to women aged < or =15 years were > or =30 years of age. Fathers of infants born to adolescent women had a lower educational level than that of matched fathers. These demographic characteristics of fathers should be carefully interpreted and taken into consideration in developing intervention programs.