Trends in birth rates for teenagers in Queensland, 1988 to 1997: an analysis by economic disadvantage and geographic remoteness

OBJECTIVE: To investigate trends in the birth rate for teenagers in Queensl and, stratified by geographic remoteness and economic disadvantage. METHOD: This was an analysis of routine data for the period 1988 to 1997. T he number of births were obtained from the Queensland Perinatal Data Collec tion. Population data (the denominators for the rates) were obtained from t he Australian Bureau of Statistics. Economic disadvantage was based on plac e of usual residence of the mother. Because of differences in physical, soc ial and psychological development, the data were analysed in three age grou ps: 13 to 14 years, 15 to 17 years and 18 to 19 years. RESULTS: Birth rates to teenagers who live in disadvantaged areas were 2 to 4 times higher than the rates for all of Queensland and 10 to 20 times hig her than the rates in affluent areas. The trend analysis showed that the ra tes are decreasing in urban-affluent areas (about 2.5% per year), while the y have remained stable, but extremely high in disadvantaged-remote areas, a nd are increasing (about 5% per year) in disadvantaged-urban areas. CONCLUSIONS: The relatively low and stable rates for all of Queensland have hidden marked variations in the trends for areas defined according to econ omic disadvantage and remoteness. The rates were especially high and showed no improvement over time in remote disadvantaged areas, which have a large Indigenous population. ' IMPLICATIONS: In some areas of Queensland births to teenagers is a pressing problem. especially because it can perpetuate a cycle of limited education al opportunities, social isolation and reliance on welfare.