Parental Influence on Teenage Pregnancy among Secondary School Students in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya

Parental Influence on Teenage Pregnancy among Secondary School Students in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya

Joyline Mukwairu Njeru^*, Dr. Joseph Muriungi Kirugua, PhD, Dr. Shadrack Munanu Kithela, PhD

Department of Education, Tharaka University, P.O BOX 193-60215 Marimanti, Kenya

^*Corresponding Author

DOI: https://doi.org/10.51244/IJRSI.2024.1108027

Received: 05 July 2024; Revised: 18 July 2024; Accepted: 23 July 2024; Published: 02 September 2024

ABSTRACT

Education is a fundamental right that should be accessible to all members of the society. However, one of the major contemporary social problem confronting most African Countries in the world is the Teenage Pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy limits girls’ access to higher education in developed and developing countries. Teenage parenthood and pregnancy during adolescence are risk factors for school dropout. Despite the numerous interventions put in place to address the challenge of teenage pregnancy among secondary school students, this problem continues witnessed in Kenyan secondary schools, particularly in Tharaka Nithi County. The low effectiveness in combating teenage pregnancy can be attributed to many factors among them parental influence. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate parental influence on teenage pregnancy among secondary school students in Tharaka Nithi County. Descriptive research design adopted for the study. Data gathered from 15 secondary schools based on school categories using the Cluster sampling procedure. Clusters based on the school national ranking. The target population was 11,936 form three students in Public and Private secondary in schools in Tharaka Nithi, County. A sample size of 410 respondents comprising 30 teachers, and 380 students (300 girls and 80 boys) used. The instruments for data collection used were structured questionnaires and personal interviews. Pilot testing done in two schools in Meru County. The overall reliability coefficient of instruments using Cronbach’s alpha yielded 0.754. Data were analysis by use of descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Chi-square). Data analysis undertaken with the help of the Statistical package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0 software. The study established that there is a strong positive significant influence of parental influence on teenage pregnancy among secondary school students in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya. The study recommends that the National and Tharaka Nithi county governments should engage parents in workshops to train them on comprehensive sex education and provide them with educational materials and guidelines. The research findings of the present study can shed light on secondary schools administrators, the Ministry of education policymakers, teachers, parents, and other stakeholders on teenage pregnancy among secondary schools in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya. This knowledge can inform appropriate measures to mitigate the parental influence on teenage pregnancies. The findings of this study add to the body of knowledge and act as a basis for further research.

Keywords: Parental Influence, Teenage Pregnancy, Secondary School Students, Tharaka Nithi County.

INTRODUCTION

Access to education enables people to realize their full potential and positively influence their communities and the country as a whole. Education has the power to transform lives, reduce poverty, and promote social and economic development. Due to this, everyone in society must have access to education, regardless of his or her socio-economic status, gender, or any other factor that might restrict his or her ability to do so. However, regardless of the Kenyan government’s efforts to promote education among the young generation, teenage pregnancy remains a problem preventing many young girls from accessing education. Pegnancy at a young age is generally considered as teenage pregnancy in several parts of the world. On average, the age of onset of the menstrual cycle for girls can be as low as 12 years, exposing young girls to possibilities of getting pregnant very early in life, with most of these pregnancies being unplanned (Perissinotto et al., 2014).

Teenage pregnancies has been a source of worry to both developing and developed countries of the world. This is due to negative repercussions on the girl child. Teenage pregnancies expose the young mothers to serious social problems (Madume, 2021). Otumo (2024) adds that teenage pregnancy poses significant adverse effects on the health and wellbeing of both the adolescent mother and the child. Challenges including adverse effects on health, limited to total lack of access to education, low social-economic status, precarious deeds such as promiscuity and inability to cater to child’s welfare. Besides, adolescent pregnancy profoundly hampers teenage girls’ psychosocial development. According to Davis (2017), complications during pregnancy is the major cause of death for 15 to 19 year-old girls globally. Other risks of adolescent mothers are eclampsia, puerperal endometritis and systemic infections than women aged 20 to 24 years. On the other hand, children born of teenage mothers often have low weight at birth and experience poor health and developmental difficulties and sometimes, they are neglected.

Whereas teenage pregnancy and birth rates are decreasing globally, in Asia, especially South-East Asia, they remain stagnant (UNICEF, 2018). However, there were variations in the prevalence of teen pregnancy occurrences within South-East Asia countries. For instance, in the Philippines, 1 out of 10 girls in the age bracket of 15–19 are likely to be mothers. In Thailand, more teenage girls are likely to become mothers than their counterparts in the Philippines. To counter the problem of teenage pregnancy, countries across Asian continents have developed policies enabling easier access to contraceptives among teenage girls and health and sex education. However, in some countries such as the Philippines and Timor-Leste, traditional laws and religious values often restrict teenage girls’ access to and use of contraception. In Japan, teen pregnancy is prevalent despite the existing strict conservative standards regarding premarital sex (Kohei et al., 2019). The situation in the Philippines and Japan indicates that reliance on policies and directives from various countries’ governments is insufficient in curbing the prevalence and prediction of teenage pregnancies.

Nava (2012) examined the influence of parental perceptions and attitudes towards sex education on adolescent sexual behaviour, specifically the risk of teenage pregnancy. The research design involved a survey of 276 Latino adolescents and their parents in the United States Focus groups used to collect qualitative data. The study found that adolescents who reported more frequent and open communication with their parents about sex were more likely to use contraception and had lower odds of experiencing teenage pregnancy. Additionally, parents who provided their children with more comprehensive sex education and more liberal attitudes towards sexuality were associated with a lower risk of teenage pregnancy. The present study involved both qualitative and quantitative data to access cause effect relationship between parents’ perception and adolescent early engagement in sex.

Madkour et al. (2013) examined the association between parental support and control and adolescent girls’ pregnancy resolution decisions in the United States. The study focused on the role of parental support and control in influencing teenage girls’ decisions about whether to terminate a pregnancy or give birth. Madkour et al. used data from a longitudinal study of adolescent health in the United States. The findings indicated parental support and control were significantly associated with adolescent girls’ pregnancy resolution decisions. Specifically, girls who reported lower levels of parental control were less likely to terminate a pregnancy, while girls who reported higher levels of parental control or had more educated parents were more likely to give birth. The study highlights the important role parents can play in shaping the reproductive decisions of their adolescent daughters. The findings of the study suggests that parental guidance can help teenagers in making the right decision about sex.

In Nigeria, a study on influence of parental Guidance on Teenage pregnancy among female adolescent secondary student was conducted by Mercy (2016). The study involved descriptive survey research. A sample size of 358 respondents was used. Instruments of the study was questionnaires. The results of the study revealed that majority of the students were afraid to discuss sensitive issues with their parents. Majority of Teenagers (98.1%) reported that their parents could not allow them use contraceptives pills and condoms. The results revealed that sex education is effective in adolescent but parents do not have knowledge about their Teens.

In Uganda, a study by Sekiwunga and Whyte (2009) investigated Student’s parental neglect in adolescent pregnancy in eastern Uganda. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional study that used qualitative data collection methods. A sample size of 22 participants was purposively selected for a focus group discussion. The findings revealed that teenage pregnancy was blamed on parental influence. The interviewee claimed that parents and guardians did not adequately provide for their girls and instead pushed them toward marriage at a young age. This study seeks to provide the underlying factors that cause parents to neglect their daughters, thus exposing them to early pregnancy.

Ayanaw et al. (2018) conducted a study among students aged 15-19 in Ethiopia. Wogedi, in northeast Ethiopia, was the site of a cross-sectional study including 514 adolescents. Data were collected properly using a standardized questionnaire and recorded and evaluated afterwards. Ayanaw et al. (2018) estimate that 13.8% of teenage girls will eventually become pregnant. The results of this study showed that the most significant factors associated with teenage pregnancy were lack of parental control, low academic performance, early age at first sexual experience, and alcohol use. The findings suggest that the most significant factors associated with teenage pregnancy are lack of parental control, low academic performance, early age at first sexual experience, and alcohol use. Interventions should focus on reducing alcohol use, increasing parental control, and improving access to education and health knowledge to reduce the prevalence of teenage pregnancy.

Auma (2015) conducted a study on Parental involvement in Teenage pregnancy prevention in Kenya. The study employed descriptive cross-sectional survey design with a target population of 30,422 households. A sample size of 138 participated in the study. The researcher used semi- structured questionnaire and key informant interview schedule to collect qualitative data. The findings of the study revealed that 85 % of the parents teach their Teenage girls sexuality with 67 % not being comfortable in doing so. The results also indicated that 55 % of parents are not aware of their girls’ friends and 49 % reported that they were not very close to their Teenage girls. On issue of discussion, 62 % of Teenage girls were not open in discussing issues of sexuality with their parents even though the results of the study Chi- square results indicated that there is no association between parents- teens closeness and discussion of sexuality issues. The results of the study suggests that parental responsibility can have an impact on the decision the Teenage girls make. The present study fills this gap by assessing the parental influence by adopting descriptive survey using larger sample size including teachers and students both boys and girls.

Kandagor et al. (2021) studied child neglect and its counselling consequences among primary school students in Marigat Sub County, Kenya. An ex-post facto research design was adopted. A Sample size of 384 participants was used. The instrument of data collection was questionnaires. The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, such as frequencies, means, and percentages. T-tests with a significance threshold of =0.05 were used to examine the hypotheses. The study found that unsupervised youth were more likely to be exposed to risk factors for sexual behaviour and subsequent adolescent pregnancy. It established how parental influence leads to early pregnancy in Marigat sub-county in Kenya. The existing literature on this topic provides evidence that parental neglect is an important factor to consider when examining the issue of teenage pregnancy. However, there is a need for further research to understand the possible mechanisms through which parental neglect may lead to teenage pregnancy and the potential interventions that can be used to address the issue that the current study seeks to address.

The high rate of early pregnancies among secondary school students in Kenya is worrying. According to data from Global Childhood Kenya, as of 2019, 82 births per 1,000 live births were due to teen pregnancy, according to Muturi (2014). In Kenya, between July 2016 and June 2017, there were 378,397 adolescent and teenage pregnancies for females aged 10 to 19 years, according to Monari et al. (2022) United Nations Population Fund Report. The report also stated that 349,465 girls between the ages of 15 and 19 and 28, and 932 girls between the ages of 10 and 14 were pregnant. This suggests that most teenage girls who become pregnant are in the secondary school age range. While there has been improvement in certain areas, the numbers have remained frighteningly high in others. Tharaka Nithi County was one of the counties in the Eastern region with the highest percentage of teenage pregnancies, according to the 2014 Demographic and Health Survey. Tharaka Nithi County has particularly high teenage pregnancy rates, with an estimated 14 % of teenage girls aged 15-19 have had a child or being pregnant with their first child in 2017 (AFIDEP, 2017). The escalating rate of teenage pregnancies in Tharaka Nithi County is a growing concern with potentially devastating consequences for the county’s future development.

Statement of the Problem

Despite the efforts put by the government of Kenya through Adolescent for Sexual Reproductive Health, Kenya Population Situation Analysis reveals that there has been dismal progress or improvement in averting teenage pregnancies. Previous research has focused on the country’s overall prevalence of teenage pregnancy. Still, there is a scarcity of information on parental influences contributing to high teenage pregnancy rates. This research seeks to bridge the gap by exploring selected parental influences on teenage pregnancies among secondary school students in Tharaka Nithi County, among the counties with high prevalent rates.

Objective of the Study

To investigate the parental influence on teenage pregnancy among secondary school students in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

Descriptive research design was adopted in the present study. The design was employed because it enabled the researcher to examine phenomena without allowing for variable manipulation (Kothari, 2011). The researcher gathered and evaluated data as it was in the field without changing the variables, making the descriptive design acceptable for the study. A descriptive research design is acceptable when the study aims to describe phenomena comprehensively (Wiersma & Jurs, 2005).

Sampling Procedure and Sample Size

The study sample was drawn from a population of all public secondary schools in Tharaka Nithi County. The units of sampling were students and not schools. Stratified sampling was used to draw counties with desired characteristics. The desired characteristic was regions with highest incidences of teenage pregnancy. One county was selected to purposively to participate in the study. Through a cluster sampling technique was then used to draw 15 secondary schools to participate in the study

Instrumentation

Students and Teachers Questionnaires

Questionnaire were used to collect data from teachers and students. The questionnaires were administered for a period of four weeks. The items in the questionnaire were recorded, screened and coded for data analysis. The questionnaires comprised of 30 open-ended items. Questionnaire had sections. Section A comprised of three items that sought for demographic information of the respondents. Section B had seven items that focused on parental influence among secondary school students. All the items were measured using a five-point Likert scale (5= Strongly Disagree, 4 = Disagree, 3=Neutral, 2= Agree, and 1= Strongly Agree). The participants were requested to honestly tick only once honestly based on their opinions the statement that describes their feeling or perception.

Interview Schedule Questionnaire

Interviews were administered to the heads of guidance and counseling because they were likely to have extensive knowledge and expertise in the educational system and the policies related to teenage reproductive health. The interview schedule comprised items categorized into areas on parental influences. All the responses were scored as either low. Moderate or high in terms of influence on teen’s pregnancy.

Data Analysis

Qualitative data from the interview schedules was analysed through an organized and classified thematic approach. Quantitative data was analysed by descriptive statistics using measures of central tendencies, including mean, percentages and standard deviation. Inferential statistics was analysed by Chi – square test.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The survey on students’ opinions regarding parental influence on teenage pregnancies provided varied insights, with responses from 372 students. The responds were presented in Table 1

Table 1 Responses of Students’ on Parental Influence on Teenage Pregnancies

Descriptive Statistics		SD	D	N	A	SA
Statement: In my Opinion	N	N (%)	N (%)	N (%)	N (%)	N (%)s	Mean	Sd. Dev
Girls whose parents have no problem with whichever r friends they choose are more likely to get pregnant	372	34(9.1)	65(17.5)	75(20.2)	128(34.4)	70(18.8)	3.36	1.229
Girls whose parents are generally helpful and supportive are less likely to get pregnant	372	45(12.1)	55(14.8)	51(13.7)	104(28.0)	117(31.5)	3.52	1.380
Girls who lack parental expression of love get love from whatever sources which can lead them to get pregnant	372	40(10.8)	50(13.4)	44(11.8)	100(26.9)	138(37.1)	3.66	1.373
Girls whose parents fail to take them to school get pregnant at a young age	372	59(15.9)	39(10.5)	57(15.3)	95(25.5)	122(32.8)	3.49	1.440
Girls who are left under the care of people who are not their parents often get pregnant	372	101(27.2)	122(32.8)	80(21.5)	44(11.8)	25(6.7)	2.38	1.193

Table 1 shows the results based on students’ opinion when it came to girls whose parents have no problem with whichever friends they choose are more likely to get pregnant, 34.4% agreed and 18.8% strongly agreed, indicating a general belief that parental discretion in their children’s friendships is important. However, 9.1% strongly disagreed, and 17.5% disagreed, with 20.2% remaining neutral. The mean was 3.36 with a standard deviation of 1.229, showing a neutral opinion among the students. The results of the study suggest that most mothers are hesitance towards speaking to their children about sexuality, either because they fear that the children may construe this as a suspicion of their sexual behaviour or they don’t think of their concerns will be taken seriously.

In the case of girls whose parents are generally helpful and supportive are less likely to get pregnant, a significant number of students, 31.5%, strongly agreed, and 28.0% agreed, reflecting a strong sentiment that supportive parenting could reduce the likelihood of teenage pregnancies. Here, 12.1% strongly disagreed, and 14.8% disagreed, with 13.7% neutral, and the mean was 3.52 with a standard deviation of 1.380. The findings are consistent with other findings by Sekiwunga and Whyte (2009) on student’s parental neglect in adolescent pregnancy in eastern Uganda revealed that teenage pregnancy was blamed on parental influence. The results of the study revealed that parents who do not provide for their girls may push them getting married at very early age exposing them to early pregnancy. The results of the study indicate that parents have the primary responsibility of monitoring and supporting their girls to avoid them trying to look for financial support or benefits from the male partners in exchange of sex.

Similar study by Mwangi (2019) in Meru County Kenya established that parental communication about sex lessen chances of their children getting pregnant. The study employed descriptive design. The respondents were 155 KMTC nursing students in Meru County. The results of the study show that parental communication with their children is highly correlated with teen pregnancy. Results further shows absence of closeness between the parent and the child is likely to result to chances of teen pregnancy. The present study sought to establish the extent to which parental opinions influence teen pregnancy.

The results of the study are in agreement with findings by Kandagor et al. (2021) on child neglect and its counselling consequences among primary school students in Marigat Sub County, Kenya. The study found that when youth are more likely to become victims of sexual abuse and ultimate results to unplanned pregnancy if they are not monitored. The results of the current study suggest that parental influence leads to early pregnancy in Tharaka Nithi County in Kenya due to parental neglect. The results indicate that parental neglect is an important factor since it leads to teenage pregnancy.

Regarding the statement; girls who lack parental expression of love get love from whatever sources that can lead them to get pregnant, 37.1% strongly agreed, and 26.9% agreed, suggesting a belief that the absence of parental love might lead to seeking affection elsewhere, potentially resulting in pregnancies. The mean was 3.66 with a standard deviation of 1.373, indicating a fair level of agreement. Ideally, parents are supposed to aid in controlling teenagers pregnancies since they are regarded as the primary caregivers. The results of the study are in agreement with other findings by Miriti and Mutua (2019). Miriti and Mutua in their study established that parents have a direct bearing on teen’s sexuality. They found out that when both parents are present, it acts as a shield against girl child sexual exploitation that may results to teen pregnancy. The results suggest that failure of parents to steer up their children can result to less capable children who are not able to make decisions and lack will power to take responsibility of their own action.

When it came to girls whose parents fail to take them to school get pregnant at a young age, 32.8% strongly agreed, and 25.5% agreed, while 15.9% strongly disagreed, and 10.5% disagreed, with 15.3% being neutral. The mean of 3.49 and a standard deviation of 1.440 reflected a general agreement but also a diverse range of opinions. The findings of the study are in harmony with findings of a study conducted by Zakaria, et al. (2022) in Malaysia, that parental marital status and peer influence. The findings suggests that failure to talk to your children about sex together as parents can encourage them to become sexually active.

Lastly, the statement; girls who are left under the care of people who are not their parents often get pregnant, received a majority of disagreement, with 27.2% strongly disagreeing and 32.8% disagreeing. Only 6.7% strongly agreed. The mean of 2.38 and a standard deviation of 1.193 indicated a general disagreement with this statement among the students. The results conquer with other findings by Strathearn et al., (2020). Specifically, it was found that girls who reported experiencing neglect were at an increased risk of becoming pregnant The study also found that girls who had experienced neglect in their childhood were more likely to become pregnant than those who had not. The findings of this study suggest that parental influence may influence teenagers engagement in early sexual relation because of neglect and guidance by parents.

Overall, these responses suggested that students perceived various aspects of parental influence as crucial factors in teenage pregnancies. They generally agreed that parental support, guidance, and involvement play significant roles in reducing the likelihood of teenage pregnancies. However, the range of responses and standard deviations across the statements highlighted varied opinions and perceptions, indicating a multifaceted view of parental influence. To further establish the parental influence on teenage pregnancy Chi-square test was performed and the results are presented in Table 2

Table 2 Chi-Square Test for students

	Value	d.f	p-value
Pearson Chi-Square	100.751	16	0.000
Likelihood Ratio	76.360	16	0.000
Linear-by-Linear Association	49.590	1	0.000
N of Valid Cases	372

From the data in Table 2, Pearson chi-square test was performed to determine the parental influence on teenage pregnancy among female secondary school students according to students χ² (16, 372) =100.751, p=0.000 suggested that there was an influence of the parental influence on teenage pregnancy among female secondary school students according to students.

The results of the study are in harmony with findings of Madkour et al. (2013) on the association between parental support and control, and adolescent girls’ pregnancy resolution decisions in the United States who established that parental support and control is very crucial in helping teenage girls in making right decisions in life on sex matters. The findings indicated a significant relationship between parental support and control with adolescent girls’ pregnancy resolution decisions. The results suggest that lower levels of parental support and control is likely to result to higher levels of teenage girls conceiving and then terminating pregnancies. Specifically, girls who reported lower levels of parental control were less likely to terminate a pregnancy. The findings of the study suggest that parental influence can help teenagers in making the right decision about sex. In the survey about teachers’ opinions on parental influence on teenage pregnancies, responses from 33 teachers were collected. Further analysis was done on the teachers’ opinions and the results are presented in Table 3.

Table 3 Responses of Teachers on Parental Influence on Teenage Pregnancies

Descriptive Statistics		SD	D	N	A	SA
	N	N (%)	N (%)	N (%)	N (%)	N (%)	Mean	Std. Dev
Girls whose parents have no problem with whichever friends they choose are more likely to get pregnant.	33	2 (6.1)	3 (9.1)	7 (21.2)	12 (36.4)	9 (27.3)	3.70	1.159
Girls whose parents are generally helpful and supportive are less likely to get pregnant.	33	3 (9.1)	6 (18.2)	2 (6.1)	6 (18.2)	16 (48.5)	3.79	1.453
Girls who lack parental expression of love get love from whatever sources which can lead them to get pregnant	33	1 (3.0)	..	6(18.2)	13 (39.4)	13 (39.4)	4.12	0.927
Girls whose parents fail to take them to school get pregnant at a young age	33	2 (6.1)	2(6.1)	5(15.2)	9 (27.3)	15 (45.5)	4.00	1.199
Girls who are left under the care of people who are not their parents often get pregnant	33	10 (30.3)	4 (12.1)	10 (30.3)	3 (9.1)	6 (18.2)	2.73	1.464

Findings in Table 3 show that when it came to girls whose parents have no problem with whichever friends they choose are more likely to get pregnant, the majority of teachers showed a level of agreement: 36.4% agreed, and 27.3% strongly agreed. Only 6.1% strongly disagreed. The mean was 3.70 with a standard deviation of 1.159, indicating a general agreement on the importance of parental discretion in their children’s friendships. The results showed that unintended teens pregnancies were linked to adverse outcomes for teens including lower income in adulthood and exposure to intimate partner violence.

Regarding the statement, girls whose parents are generally helpful and supportive are less likely to get pregnant, a significant portion of teachers, 48.5%, strongly agreed, and 18.2% agreed. However, 9.1% strongly disagreed. The mean was 3.79, with a standard deviation of 1.453, reflecting a strong sentiment that supportive parenting could lower the risk of teenage pregnancies. The findings are in agreement with the results of Nava (2012) on the influence of parental perceptions and attitudes towards sex education on adolescent sexual behaviour, specifically the risk of teenage pregnancy. The study found that adolescents who reported more frequent and open communication with their parents about sex were more likely to use contraception and had lower odds of experiencing teenage pregnancy.

For girls who lack parental expression of love get love from whatever sources that can lead them to get pregnant, the agreement was even more pronounced: 39.4% agreed and strongly agreed. The mean was high at 4.12, with a low standard deviation of 0.927, suggesting a strong consensus among teachers on this point. The results are in harmony with other findings by Shikukutu and Ramarathan (2024). Shikukutu and Ramarathan which showed that discourses about masculinity of boys meet a part in sexual relationship decisions that in most cases leads to impregnation. When boys use the word “score” referring to impregnating a girl to tease those that have not impregnated a girl can preferably be mitigated through parental communication.

In the case of girls whose parents fail to take them to school get pregnant at a young age, 45.5% strongly agreed, and 27.3% agreed, while only 6.1% strongly disagreed. The mean score was 4.00 with a standard deviation of 1.199, indicating a general agreement among teachers on the correlation between lack of education and early pregnancies. In agreement with the findings are results of the study by Rowan (2021) who established that the rising number of teen pregnancy was possibly because of lack of sex education. The researcher further recommended the government should make it an initiative to allow use of contraceptives even without parental consent. Consistent with the findings of the study are results of a study in Nyatike Sub County in Kenya by Kithuka (2024). Kithuka found out that lack of gainful employment and inadequate sexual reproductive health services are associated with early pregnancy among teenagers 13 – 19 years.

Lastly, for the statement; girls who are left under the care of people who are not their parents often get pregnant, the responses were more divided 30.3% each strongly disagreed and were neutral, and only 18.2% strongly agreed. The mean of 2.73 and a high standard deviation of 1.464 reflected diverse opinions on this matter. Overall, these responses suggested that teachers generally perceived parental involvement, support, and guidance as critical factors in preventing teenage pregnancies. They tended to agree that lack of parental love and supervision could lead to higher pregnancy risks among teenagers. However, the varied responses across statements highlighted that not all teachers were unanimous in their views, suggesting diverse opinions within the teaching community. A chi-square test was performed to determine the parental influence on teenage pregnancy among female secondary school students according to teachers and the results are presented in Table 4.

Table 4 Chi-Square Test for Teachers

	Value	d.f	p-value
Pearson Chi-Square	13.453	12	0.337
Likelihood Ratio	14.378	12	0.277
Linear-by-Linear Association	5.904	1	0.015
N of Valid Cases	33

From the analysis , Table 4 indicates χ² (12, 33)=13.453, p=0.337 The p value obtained is greater than 0.05 indicating that there is no statistically significant differences between parental influence and teenage pregnancy among female secondary school students according to teachers. Further analysis was conducted to test the hypothesis that stated that there is no statistically significant parental influence on teenage pregnancy among secondary school students in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya. To test this hypothesis a chi-square test was performed and the results are presented in Table 5.

Table 5 Chi-Square Test for both Teachers and Students

	Value	d.f	p-value
Pearson Chi-Square	111.450	16	0.000
Likelihood Ratio	87.575	16	0.000
Linear-by-Linear Association	60.770	1	0.000
N of Valid Cases	405

Information in Table 5 reveals that χ² (16, 405) =111.450, p=0.000 which indicates that the obtained p value is less than 0.05. A P value of less than 0.05 shows that there are statistically significance differences between parental influence and teenage pregnancy among secondary school students. The p-value being less than 0.05 leads to rejection of hypothesis and indicating that there is a statistically significant parental influence on teenage pregnancy among secondary school students in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya. Some caregivers, parents or guardians who neglect children by delegating their responsibility to other people exacerbate teenage pregnancy. Lack of parental guidance among teenagers can be the main reason why teenage girls are likely to get married early, engage in premarital sex and take risky behavior that is ends up in teenage pregnancy. When parents are presence, it acts as protective shield against girl child sexual exploitation that result to teenage pregnancy.

CONCLUSION

The Hypotheses stated there is no statistically significant parental influence on teenage pregnancy among secondary school students in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya. The results of Chi square of both students and teachers showed χ² (16, 405) =111.378, p=0.000 was obtained. The results indicated a significant influence of parental influence on teenage pregnancy among secondary school students. The p-value being less than 0.05 led to the rejection of hypothesis. The findings reveals that there is a statistical significant influence of parental influence on teenage pregnancy among secondary school students.

RECOMMENDATIONS

From the findings of the study, the following are the recommendations made:

1. National and Tharaka Nithi county governments should engage parents in workshops to train them on comprehensive sex education and provide them with educational materials and guidelines.
2. The Ministry of Health through the department of Public Health at the county level should develop interventions to promote parental monitoring and supervision of teenage girls.
3. Parents should introduce their children to religious related programs like Sunday schools, Sunday services and madrasas to equip them with religious norms which promote healthy living when they reach teenage ages.

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