Health Indicator Report of Adolescent births
Research indicates that bearing a child during adolescence is associated with long-term difficulties for the mother, her child, and society. These consequences are often attributable to poverty and other adverse socioeconomic circumstances that frequently accompany early childbearing.
Compared to babies born to older mothers, babies born to adolescent mothers, particularly young adolescent mothers, are at higher risk of low birth weight and infant mortality. These babies are more likely to grow up in homes that offer lower levels of emotional support and cognitive stimulation, and they are less likely to earn a high school diploma. For mothers, giving birth during adolescence is associated with limited educational attainment, which in turn can reduce future employment prospects and earning potential.
Compared to babies born to older mothers, babies born to adolescent mothers, particularly young adolescent mothers, are at higher risk of low birth weight and infant mortality. These babies are more likely to grow up in homes that offer lower levels of emotional support and cognitive stimulation, and they are less likely to earn a high school diploma. For mothers, giving birth during adolescence is associated with limited educational attainment, which in turn can reduce future employment prospects and earning potential.
Birth rate for females aged 15-19 by Utah Small Area, 2021-2023
Notes
A description of the Utah Small Areas may be found on IBIS at the following URL: https://ibis.utah.gov/ibisph-view/resource/Guidelines.html.*Use caution in interpreting, the estimate has a coefficient of variation >30% and is therefore deemed unreliable by Utah Department of Health and Human Services standards.
**The estimate has been suppressed because 1) the relative standard error is greater than 50% or 2) the observed number of events is very small and not appropriate for publication.
***2023 Provisional data
Data Sources
- Utah Birth Certificate Database, Office of Vital Records and Statistics, Utah Department of Health and Human Services
- Population estimates used linear interpolation of U.S. Census Bureau, Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute population estimates, and ESRI ZIP Code data provided annual population estimates for ZIP Code areas by sex and age groups, IBIS Version 2023
- National Vital Statistics System, National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Data Interpretation Issues
The adolescent birth rate does not include abortions or miscarriages, and is an underestimate of the adolescent pregnancy rate.Definition
The adolescent birth rate is reported as the number of live births per 1,000 adolescent females aged 15-19.Numerator
The number of live births to adolescent mothers aged 15-19.Denominator
The number of adolescent females in the population.Other Objectives
Utah's 42 Community Health IndicatorsSimilar to HP2020 Objective FP-8: Reduce PREGNANCIES among adolescent females.
How Are We Doing?
The teen birth rates per 1,000 females aged 15-19 in Utah, for the past five years were:2019: 11.4
2020: 10.2
2021: 9.2
2022: 8.3
2023: 8.0
According to the 2022 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring Survey (PRAMS) data, 42% of Utah teen mothers (age 15-19) reported their pregnancies as mistimed or unwanted. Another 25% reported that they were unsure whether or not they wanted to be pregnant.
How Do We Compare With the U.S.?
The adolescent birth rate in Utah has been lower than the U.S. overall rate over the past decade but is higher than in several other states. Utah and U.S. adolescent birth rates per 1,000 females aged 15-19 for the past five years were:2019: Utah 11.4/U.S. 16.7
2020: Utah 10.2/U.S. 15.4
2021: Utah 9.2/U.S. 13.9
2022: Utah 8.3/U.S. 13.6
2023: Utah 8.0/U.S. 13.1
What Is Being Done?
Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs:The Utah Department of Health and Human Services receives federal funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Family & Youth Services Bureau to provide two programs addressing teen pregnancy prevention in Utah.
The first program is Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE). Funds for this program must be used to implement evidence-based programs that teach participants to voluntarily refrain from sexual activity; normalize the optimal health behavior of avoiding non-marital sexual activity; and address the social, psychological, and health gains to be realized by refraining from sexual activity and engaging in healthy relationships.
SRAE reaches youth ages 10-19 and/or their parents, with a specific focus on youth with higher than average adolescent birth rates, including youth in the Utah juvenile justice and foster care systems; youth residing in rural areas; or other communities with birth rates higher than the Utah state rate.
The second program is the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP). These funds must be used for evidence-based interventions designed to educate adolescents on both abstinence and contraception to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS, and at least three adulthood preparation subjects (healthy relationships, education and career success, healthy life skills, adolescent development, financial literacy, and parent-child communication).
The service population for PREP in Utah is youth ages 14-19, and their parents, with a specific focus on youth with higher than average adolescent birth rates, including youth in the Utah juvenile justice and foster care systems; pregnant and parenting teens; youth residing in rural areas; or other communities with birth rates higher than the Utah state rate.
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) sub-contracts these federal funds to local health departments, community agencies, and tribal entities or governments.
For more information or questions regarding the two programs mentioned above, contact Sarah Schafer at 801-247-9382 or sarahschafer@utah.gov.
Evidence-based Practices
The Utah teen pregnancy prevention programs utilize the following evidence-based interventions:- Choosing the Best
- Families Talking Together
- INclued
- Get Real
- Making Proud Choices
- Sexual Health and Adolescent Risk Prevention (SHARP)
- Teen Outreach Program (TOP)
Available Services
Youth development programs, resources for health teachers, and/or classes for youth and parents are available in local areas across the state.For more information, contact Sarah Schafer at 801-247-9382 or sarahschafer@utah.gov.
Page Content Updated On 09/09/2024,
Published on 10/04/2024
