Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), Percentage of Teenage Mothers and Youth Female Literacy Rate

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Abstract BackgroundIn the past few years, maternal mortality rate has been a growing area of research interest in Africa. It is also noteworthy that teenage mothers are on the rise. This study is aimed at assessing the relationship between maternal mortality rate (MMR), the percentage of teenage mothers, and literacy rate among female adolescents in different regions of Africa.MethodSecondary data on maternal mortality rate, percentage of teenage mothers and youth female literacy rate, originally compiled by United Nations Population Division, was obtained from World Bank data and analyzed using a regression model. The average values were estimated for MMR and youth literacy and the relationship was determined for each region.ResultsThe West African region had the highest average maternal mortality rate while North Africa had the highest mean literacy rate and the highest mean teenage mother rate. A 10% rise in adolescent literacy rate was shown to reduce MMR across all regions, although the extent of reduction differed across each region. A reduction in MMR was observed as well in varying proportions, following a hypothetical 10% increase in youth literacy rate over some years.ConclusionThe study shows that low literacy rates were associated with child marriage which increases the risk of maternal mortality. Efforts need to be further intensified in improving the educational level of females in developing countries, especially African nations, in order to reduce maternal mortality in the region.

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