Kirby D, Coyle K, Gould J B
ETR Associates, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
Fam Plann Perspect. 2001 Mar-Apr;33(2):63-9.
Given that many communities are implementing community-wide initiatives to reduce teenage pregnancy or childbearing, it is important to understand the effects of a community's characteristics on adolescent birthrates.
Data from the 1990 census and from California birth certificates were obtained for zip codes in California. Regression analyses were conducted on data from zip code areas with at least 200 females aged 15-17 between 1991 and 1996, to predict the effects of race and ethnicity marital status, education, employment, income and poverty, and housing on birthrates among young teenagers.
In bivariate analyses, the proportion of families living below poverty level within a zip code was highly related to the birthrate among young teenagers in that zip code (r=.80, p<.001). In multivariate analyses, which controlled for some of the correlates of family poverty level, the proportion of families living below poverty level remained by far the most important predictor of the birthrate among young teenagers (b=1.54), followed by the proportion of adults aged 25 or older who have a college education (b=-0.80). Race and ethnicity were only weakly related to birthrate. In all three racial and ethnic groups, poverty and education were significantly related to birthrate, but the effect of college education was greater among Hispanics (b=-2.98) than among either non-Hispanic whites (b=-0.53) or blacks (b=-1.12). Male employment and unemployment and female unemployment were highly related to the birthrate among young teenagers in some racial or ethnic groups, but not in others.
Multiple manifestations of poverty, including poverty itself, low levels of education and employment, and high levels of unemployment, may have a large impact upon birthrates among young teenagers. Addressing some of these issues could substantially reduce childbearing among young adolescents.
鉴于许多社区正在实施全社区范围的举措以降低青少年怀孕或生育的发生率，了解社区特征对青少年生育率的影响很重要。
获取了加利福尼亚州邮政编码区域的1990年人口普查数据和加利福尼亚州出生证明数据。对1991年至1996年间至少有200名15至17岁女性的邮政编码区域的数据进行回归分析，以预测种族和族裔、婚姻状况、教育、就业、收入与贫困以及住房对青少年生育率的影响。
在双变量分析中，邮政编码区域内生活在贫困线以下家庭的比例与该邮政编码区域内青少年生育率高度相关（r = 0.80，p < 0.001）。在控制了家庭贫困水平的一些相关因素的多变量分析中，生活在贫困线以下家庭的比例仍然是青少年生育率最重要的预测因素（b = 1.54），其次是25岁及以上拥有大学学历的成年人比例（b = -0.80）。种族和族裔与生育率的关系较弱。在所有三个种族和族裔群体中，贫困和教育与生育率显著相关，但大学教育对西班牙裔（b = -2.98）的影响大于非西班牙裔白人（b = -0.53）或黑人（b = -1.12）。男性就业和失业以及女性失业在某些种族或族裔群体中与青少年生育率高度相关，但在其他群体中并非如此。
贫困的多种表现形式，包括贫困本身、低教育水平和就业水平以及高失业率，可能对青少年生育率产生重大影响。解决其中一些问题可以大幅降低青少年的生育水平。
