A Study of the Social Determinants of Teenage Pregnancy across Texas Counties from 2005-2014

Abstract

Geographic variation in teenage birth rates has been linked to various socioeconomic and demographic factors. The purpose of this study is to analyze what factors are associated with the observed geographic variation in teen birth rates across Texas. Specifically, this study tries to dissociate the possible influence of the environmental context from that of specific group characteristics by controlling for ethnic/racial group populations within counties. Results were consistent with previous findings relating higher incidence of teenage births to higher levels of community disintegration and disorganization, with improvements in economic conditions (e.g., increases in per capita personal income) being found inversely correlated with teen births, all other things being equal. Changes in demographics, particularly minority populations, were found to be significantly associated with teen births, with increases in Latino and black teen populations being positively correlated with teenage birth rates, all else constant. Variations in the estimates of the regression coefficients and their respective significance levels among data for teens ages 15 to 17 and 18 to 19 allude to the different importance these variables might hold for these two age groups.