Teachers’ Perception of the Influence of Sexual Abstinence Programs on Teenage Pregnancy in Public Primary Schools in Nandi North Sub-County, Nandi County

Main Article Content

Milcah Cherop Kimeto https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6408-740X
Teresia Njonge https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7640-4533
Ezra Maritim https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4633-9417

Keywords

Teenage pregnancy, school, teacher, perception, sexual abstinence programs

Abstract

Teenage pregnancy remains one of the major social and educational concerns in many regions within Kenya. It interrupts young girls' education and causes high dropout rates, poor performance and a cycle of socio-economic problems that may persist into adulthood. To combat this issue, various mitigation measures have been introduced, including programs and health policies established by governments to protect girls from unintended pregnancies. Despite these efforts, teenage pregnancy rates continue to rise in the country. This study therefore evaluated teachers’ perception of the influence of sexual abstinence programs on teenage pregnancy in public primary schools in Nandi North Sub-County, Nandi County. The study was guided by Social Learning Theory, developed by psychologist Albert Bandura in 1971. The target population was 1387 teachers from six existing zones of Nandi North Sub-County. The sample size of 301 respondents was obtained using Krejcie and Morgan (1970) sample size table. The respondents were stratified into educational zones and sampled using simple random sampling approach. Purposive sampling was used to select 24 guidance and counselling teachers as key informants. Data was collected using structured questionnaire and interview schedule. A pilot study was conducted to determine validity and reliability of research instruments. Content validity and Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess reliability. The study obtained a reliability coefficient of 0.78 which was deemed to be acceptable. The data was coded into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 23 and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data from key informants (interviewees) was thematically classified and arranged before they were reported in narrations and quotations as per the research objectives. Results revealed a moderate positive significant relationship between influence of sexual abstinence programs and teenage pregnancy (r=-0.531, p< 0.000). This implies that as sexual abstinence programs increase, teenage pregnancy rates tend to decrease moderately. The study recommends that abstinence programs be supplemented by comprehensive sex education in primary schools in Nandi County.

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