The effects of individual and regional factors on adolescent fertility rates: The case of Lithuania
The effects of individual and regional factors on adolescent fertility rates: The case of Lithuania

Summary/Abstract: We examined the large variations in adolescent fertility rates between and within countries to develop a better understanding of the regional and individual factors behind early childbearing. Using low spatial-level data from the Lithuanian census, we found that there is a high level of regional differentiation within Lithuania, with differences of up to 20 times between the rates in various regions. We, therefore, investigated whether the regional differentiation of adolescent fertility rates is determined by the various regional contexts or whether it depends on the individual characteristics of teenage mothers. Surprisingly, the results of our regression models showed that the regional context did not have much of an effect on adolescent fertility – large differences between regions appeared due to the spatially uneven distribution of socially and economically underprivileged teenagers. Our results also showed that girls/women who had their first child in adolescence statistically differed from those who postponed motherhood in significant ways: those who gave birth in adolescence were more likely to belong to ethnic minorities (1.4 times more likely), receive government benefits (10 times), live in large households (10 times), and reside in rural areas (1.4 times). They were also more likely to terminate their education early, acquiring only a primary (7 times more likely) or lower-secondary (8 times) education. Our results suggest that, to reduce adolescent fertility rates and regional disparities, state strategies and policies should be targeted at addressing individual factors. Teenage mothers must be given support to encourage them to return the educational system as early as possible, thus preventing a further widening of the gap between their socio-economic status and that of their childless peers.

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