El embarazo en la adolescencia y su influencia en la deserción escolar y el trabajo infantil

Abstract

Early pregnancy is an unmistakable sign of inequality, social injustice, and violation of the human rights of children and adolescents. This condition produces a complex biopsychosocial imbalance in adolescents, risking their health and life. It is caused by poverty, marginalization, low education, and cultural patterns, among others; it also generates school dropout and child labor as consequences. This research analyzes the repercussions of adolescent pregnancy on education, school dropout, and child labor in patients treated in two health centers in Cuenca, Ecuador, from January 2020 to July 2021. Within the methodology, a quantitative approach with a non-experimental transectional design was determined. The research had a descriptive and explanatory scope; the deductive method allowed the formulation of hypotheses tested with the PSPP statistical program. Furthermore, we worked with the universe considering the 281 cases. The results show that adolescent pregnancy influences school dropout, mainly in adolescents between 13 and 18 years of age, and in child labor, especially in adolescents who have dropped out of school. The conclusion is that adolescent pregnancy is one of the most significant social problems affecting this population's life project, causing severe repercussions in the educational sphere.