A Comparative Analysis of Adolescent Fertility in Morocco, Egypt and Turkey

The present study aims to gain insights into trends and determinant factors of adolescent fertility in Morocco, Egypt and Turkey. The study uses Demographic and Health Surveys data to estimate the timing and determinants of first births among adolescent women after controlling for the effects of socioeconomic and cultural characteristics. Early marriage, low educational attainment of women, poor welfare status and high spousal age difference constitute the major factors facilitating adolescent childbearing. The findings suggest that policies and programs toward decreasing fertility during adolescence in these countries should also be directed to promote female education beyond the primary level. Also all types of reproductive assistance programs should have a husband dimension.