Gravidez na adolescência

ARTIGO ARTICLE

Gravidez na adolescência: perfil sóciodemográfico e comportamental de uma população da periferia de São Paulo, Brasil
Teenage pregnancy: behavioral and sociodemographic profile of an urban
Brazilian population

Elisa Chalem 1
Sandro Sendin Mitsuhiro 1
Cleusa P. Ferri 2
Marina Carvalho Moraes Barros
Ruth Guinsburg 3
Ronaldo Laranjeira 1

1 Departamento de
Psiquiatria, Universidade
Federal de São Paulo,
São Paulo, Brasil.
2 Institute of Psychiatry,
King’s College London,
London, U.K.
3 Departamento de Pediatria,
Universidade Federal de São
Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil.

Correspondência
E. Chalem
Unidade de Pesquisa em Álcool e Drogas,
Departamento de
Psiquiatria, Universidade
Federal de São Paulo.
Rua Marques do Paraná 567, apto. 42A, São Paulo, SP
05086-010, Brasil. [e-mail] 3

Abstract

Introdução

To identify the socio-demographic behavioral profile of low-income pregnant teenagers, 1,000 adolescents admitted to a Brazilian public maternity hospital from July 24, 2001, to November
27, 2002, were interviewed. Socio-demographic and behavioral variables were assessed through a questionnaire. Over the 492 days of the study,
24.3% of admissions were adolescents (930 for childbirth and 70 for miscarriage). Mean maternal age was 17 years. Most teenagers (72.9%) lived near the hospital. 930 (93%) belonged to socioeconomic classes C, D, and E. School dropout was identified in 67.3% of the total. 80.1% of the subjects were giving birth for the first time. 81.2% had not planned the pregnancy, and 23.8% had been using some contraceptive method. 67.4% had vaginal deliveries. Some
13.3% of the newborns were premature and
15.9% had low birth weight. 17.3% of these adolescent mothers reported smoking during pregnancy, with 2.8% reporting alcohol and 1.7% illicit drugs. Teenage pregnancy is a complex phenomenon associated with various economic, educational, and behavioral factors. The study