MJAMR

Covid-19 Outbreak And Early Pregnancies Among School Going Children. A Case Study Of Kamuli District, Uganda

Asiimwe Isaac Kazaara, Musiimenta Nancy


Abstract

Prevalence of teenage pregnancy in Kamuli District was reported to be 35.8% in 2021, higher than the average rate for rural areas in Uganda estimated at 27%. The research used a cross sectional study that employed both quantitative and qualitative methods. Research administered questionnaires were given to 25 on school going teenagers in five randomly selected schools in Kamuli Municipal Council while oral observation and interviews were conducted on 35 participants that included 10 pregnant teenagers, 5 teenage mothers, 5 parents to such teenagers, 10 school administrators, and 5 religious and political leaders. The questionnaire turn-up was 23 and oral interviews were conducted on 27 participants. Microsoft excel and SPSS were used to analyze the data and that then after was presented in form of frequency tables. The study revealed that COVID-19 outbreak was the major key contributor to teenage pregnancy on school going children in Kamuli. It was clear that socio-cultural factors such as low literacy, cultural practices associated poor parenting, child marriages, school dropout and cultural changes combine with the poverty situation generated and perpetuated the problem. Political interference made it difficult to redress the problem. Girls who fell victims of teenage pregnancies end up facing stigma and discrimination and their access to education and career development was radically reduced. The study also showed that teenage pregnancy had a great effect on education and affected the girls’ future and economic development of a country. The study further revealed that teenage pregnancy contributed to girls’ poor performance in school and in final exams. The study showed that most underage mothers had terminated their education for fear of shame, stigmatization and ridicule from the school and school and being rated as ill-mannered children. They should be counselled by their parents, and guidance and counselling teachers to give them strength and hope of continuing with their education and getting brighter futures. Counselling will also help in their job skills and psychosocial development that will help them after schooling and life ahead. The researcher also observed that parental and community involvement in openly advising their children and not shy away, sensitization of parents to support (especially) the girl child, counselling of both parents and learners about effects of early pregnancy and the responsibilities that come with it, community care and responsibility to keep girls in school, and using the law to legally prosecute offenders could be the appropriate strategies for combating teenage pregnancy in Kamuli district.

Keywords

Covid-19 Outbreak Early Pregnancies and School Going Children
Metropolitan Journal of Academic Multidisciplinary Research

Cite This Article

Asiimwe Isaac Kazaara & Musiimenta Nancy (2024). Covid-19 Outbreak And Early Pregnancies Among School Going Children. A Case Study Of Kamuli District, Uganda. Metropolitan Journal of Academic Multidisciplinary Research, 3(7). https://journals.miu.ac.ug/pages/article.php?article_id=1370

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