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Girls with poor school performance get pregnant earlier than others
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Scientists from the Johns Hopkins Center in Baltimore, as well as their colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania, conducted a study and came to the conclusion that seventh-graders who have problems with reading are most at risk of becoming pregnant while still in middle school.
The picture didn't change even after researchers adjusted for factors such as the girls' race, their families' wealth, and the neighborhoods they live in, all of which are associated with early teen pregnancy.
"Certainly, social disadvantages play a role in teenage girls becoming mothers early, but poor academic performance is also a significant factor," said Dr. Krishna Upadhua, one of the study's authors and a researcher at the Johns Hopkins Center for Reproductive Health and Teen Pregnancy.
Poor academic performance can play a role in how teens view their future and financial well-being, which can influence their actions and the decisions they make, says Dr. Upadua.
Study co-author Dr Ian Bennett of the University of Pennsylvania and colleagues administered a standardised test of reading skills.
The study involved 12,339 seventh-grade girls from 92 different Philadelphia public schools. The researchers followed the girls for six years.
Over the course of the study, 1,618 teenagers became mothers, including more than 200 girls who gave birth to two or three children.
Hispanic and African American girls were more likely to become pregnant than white girls.
Of the girls who scored below average in reading, 21% became pregnant as teenagers. Among the girls who did well and scored high, there were fewer early pregnancies – only 12%.
Race and family financial status were also taken into account.
As a result, the scientists concluded that girls whose reading skills were below average were two and a half times more likely to have a child at a young age than those students who showed higher results.
The number of girls ages 15 to 19 who became pregnant in the United States was at a record low in 2011. About 31 out of every 1,000 girls became mothers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the rate remains high among girls growing up in poor families, researchers say.
Teenage pregnancy is a pressing problem despite the widespread implementation of sex education programs for adolescents.
Young mothers and their babies are at high risk for complications.
Dr Upadua says teenage pregnancy is an issue that requires more education and support to help girls delay pregnancy and complete school.
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