The number of teenage parents continues to grow, and they face a variety of economic and educational barriers. While only a minority of teens actively desire pregnancy, many lack sufficient motivation to avoid it. Possible solutions to this problem include improving schools, job opportunities, and access to family planning services. (KH)

Examined in this document are the prevalence of early marriage and childbearing, and the relationship of early marriage and childbearing to divorce and separation. The report focuses on three hypotheses: (1) that marriage between young, unprepared teenagers ends more frequently in divorce regardless of the presence or absence of a child; (2) that…

The basic hypothesis explored in this report is that a young age at birth of a first child is directly associated with becoming a female family head and/or welfare recipient. To determine the validity of this hypothesis, the effect of premarital birth, a young age at first marriage, educational attainment, and family size are explored. Data from…

This report is based on evidence that despite the negative outcomes so often associated with early childbearing, not all teenage parents experience difficult lives. Given the heterogeneity of outcomes among teenage parents and their children, the issue addressed in the research is to identify the factors that explain variations in academic…

Examined in this document are the different ways in which the age a woman has her first child might affect her later well-being. Specific questions addressed include: (1) How do teenage mothers compare later in life with young women who postpone their first birth to their early twenties? and (2) If they are less well off, what explanation can…

Examined in this document is the effect the age at which a young woman has her first birth has on her later childbearing. Data from the Michigan Panel Study of Income Dynamics and the National Longitudinal Survey of Young Women are used in conjunction with a review of related literature in examining such factors as fertility, premarital pregnancy,…

The primary purpose of the research presented in this paper is to develop a more complete model of educational attainment. Age at first birth is examined by multiple regression, along with other independent variables that have been found to affect educational attainment, including age at marriage. The second purpose of this paper is to address the…