Perception on the severity of unwanted pregnancyamong university students

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the perception of University students regarding the severity of unwanted pregnancy. Methods: This cross sectional study involved 408 (206 females and 202 males) students residing within the university campus. Simple and systematic sampling methods were used to select participants. A 4-likert scaled self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Result: Majority (87.70%) of participants perceived unwanted pregnancy as leading to impaired mental health; 86.30% perceived it as a cause of many other health problems; 86.60% believed it could result to shame and withdrawal from society or even suicidal attempts; and child neglect and abandonment (84.80%). Using the cut-off points of 75% of the total scores as a criteria for assessing perception, fewer (60.30%) participants perceived unwanted pregnancy as preventing a girl from continuing with her education; insufficient money to provide for both mother and child (74.50%) and leading to higher risk of substance abuse and problem behaviour among children born from unwanted pregnancies (51.20%). Females students strongly agreed that unwanted pregnancy could lead to shame and withdrawal from the society compared to their male counterparts (Chi-square = 10.788, p = 0.013). Conclusion: Few students at the University of Venda perceived unwanted pregnancy as being severe enough and associated with truncated education, poverty for the young mother, and increased risk of problem behaviours. Thus, intervention strategies should be instituted to prevent unwanted pregnancies among the students.

An exploration of the causes of student pregnancy and psychological stressors experienced by pregnant students at University of Venda, South Africa

“…Unsurprisingly, Sa-ngiamsak (2016) argues that boyfriends of pregnant students denies and ignores being the father of the unborn baby in order to protect themselves and their futures, hence, pregnant students are reluctant to disclose their pregnancies due to fear of rejection and/or abandonment. Consistent with the present study, Anyanwu et al (2013) showed that pregnant students are embarrassed to reveal their pregnancies to their families, partners and peers. Malhotra (2008), also reported that pregnant females found it difficult to disclose their pregnancies to their social-support system due to fear of abandonment, pain and suffering from the resultant broken relationships with their boyfriends, parents and friends.…”

“…& Jali, 2014). Student pregnancy is a global trend, although, the problem is more visible in developing countries, such as South Africa (Aluzimbi et al, 2013;Anyanwu et al, 2013;Naidoo & Kasiram, 2006). Pregnant students are victims to a variety of challenges, such as poverty, poor academic performances, and dropping out of their institutions due, mainly, to their inability to concentrate on their studies (Changach, 2012).…”

Genotype and Abo Blood Group Association With Prevalence of Malaria Among Patients in University of Nigeria Medical Center: A Cross-Sectional Evaluation

“…The reported middle age of most of the participants is understandable, as the majority of them were students. Most undergraduate students in Nigerian universities are about this age group, as shown in studies from different regions of the country [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]. The marital status of the participants in the study was not obtained.…”

Perception of susceptibility to the negative outcomes associated with unprotected sex among University of Venda students

“…Details regarding the sampling procedure, instrumentation and data collection procedures are reported elsewhere. 17 Permission to conduct the research was given by the University of Venda, health, safety and research ethics committee: SHS/12/PH/06/0912.…”