[Evolution of adolescent fertility and its association with evolution of income in the Spanish provinces during the period 1975-1985].

BACKGROUND

Fertility rates in women under 21, during the period 1975-1985 in Spain, have analyzed, as well as their association with the evolution of the socioeconomic indicators in order to study the distribution and associated factors to adolescent maternity in our environment.

METHODS

The fertility rates have been elaborated from the Official Demographic Statistics. The socioeconomic indicators have been obtained from the Statistics Year Book of the National Institute of Statistics and from other complementary sources. The method of weighted linear regression has been used to analyze the association between the indicators and the rates at the provincial level.

RESULTS

The fertility rates have decreased a 16% in mothers from 15 to 19 years old in Spain, between 1975 and 1985. The highest accumulated rates belong to the Communities of Canarias (42.8 births by 1000 women of 15 to 19, Galicia (38.1) Murcia (33.7) and Andalucía (30.3). In the regression analysis, the income evolution shows an association with the fertility evolution in the group from 15 to 19 years old, and this association remains when we take into account unemployment, index of provincial development and birth rate, which allows to explain a 49% of the variance. Fertility of adolescent under 15 is only associated with the income evolution, with a determination coefficient of 0.29.

CONCLUSIONS

Results indicate that early maternity has decreased in Spain, although there are geographical differences, which cam, in some measure, be related with social-economic factors.