Adolescent Childbirth and Mobility Disability Among Women Ages 15-49: An Analysis of Population Health Surveys from 14 Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Background: Adolescent childbirth is associated with older adult adverse health outcomes that negatively affect mobility function, but these associations have not been studied globally in large samples of reproductive-age women. This study examines the association between age at first childbirth and mobility disability in national surveys from low- and middle-income countries. Methods: Population health surveys from 2013-2018 containing mobility disability measures among ever-pregnant women ages 15-49 were analyzed (14 countries). Covariates included current age, urban/rural residence, education, and household wealth. Poisson regression models were used to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) of mobility disability among women who first gave birth during adolescence (19 years or younger) and in adult life (ages 20 to 45 years) in each country and across the whole sample. Countries were also analyzed according to the use of standard and non-standard mobility disability measures. Findings: Prevalence of adolescent childbirth (17·5%-66·2%) and mobility disability (0·32%-21·45%) varied widely across countries. Adolescent childbirth was significantly (p