Understanding teenage fertility, cohabitation, and marriage: the case of Peru
This paper contributes to the economic literature that investigates the origins of teenage pregnancy and early marriage
Abstract
This paper intends to contribute to the economic literature that investigates the origins of teenage pregnancy and early marriage/co habitation in Peru and to improve understanding of the risk factors of one important gender-related issue that has historically provoked asymmetric costs for boys and girls.
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First, we investigate how early cohabitation, marriage and childbearing vary according to early socioeconomic conditions
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second, we explore to what extent the factors related to early poverty matter equally for boys and girls
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third, we examine whether factors such as low aspirations and low expectations of future economic success, school achievement, socio- emotional competencies, knowledge of family planning, and sexual behaviours, can contribute to explaining teenage childbearing and marriage in disadvantaged contexts
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finally, we look at how changes in socioeconomic status, migration, and household structure, as well changes in aspirations, test scores, and socio-emotional competencies during childhood and early adolescence, might have increased or decreased the probability of teenage childbearing, marriage, and cohabitation.
This study uses data from Young Lives, an international study of childhood poverty, following the lives of 12,000 children in 4 countries (Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam) over 15 years. Young Lives is funded by the UK Department for International Development.
Citation
Favara, Marta, Alan Sanchez and Pablo Lavado (2016) ‘Understanding teenage fertility, cohabitation, and marriage: the case of Peru’, GRADE’s series: Avance de Investigación N.22
Links
Understanding teenage fertility, cohabitation, and marriage: the case of Peru