Numbers still above national average.
CLARKSDALE – Teen pregnancy rates have declined by 60 percent in Coahoma County and 26 percent in Phillips County, Ark., but the Delta’s teen birth rates are still far above the national average, according to a new study commissioned by the Walton Family Foundation.
The research, conducted by Mathematica Policy Research, evaluated the two counties to identify risk factors and possible intervention strategies to further reduce rates.
In its analysis of Coahoma and Phillips counties over a three year period, the study found teen birth rates tend to be higher in disadvantaged communities. These communities were identified as locations where more people live in poverty, are not able to complete college or have a large percentage of residents age 17 and younger.
Social and economic barriers, as well as lack of access to quality health education and medical care, also likely contributed to the high rates.
In 2016 Arkansas had the highest teen birth rate of any state, at 34.6 births per 1,000 females age 15 to 19.
The report found the teen birth rate declined by 60 percent in Coahoma County, from 83.8 in 2010 to 33.2 in 2016.
Additional findings from the study include:
• Parents can make a difference. Positive role modeling and mentoring from parents; parental discussions about sex and birth control; and having a mother who graduated from high school were associated with lower teen birth rates.
In contrast, young age at sexual initiation and lack of contraceptive use at first sex were associated with a higher likelihood of teen pregnancy.
• The landscape is complex. Many contextual factors contribute to teen pregnancy, such as discrimination on race and class; restrictive sexuality education policies; lack of activities and opportunity for youth; and noncompliance with confidentiality protocols among health care providers.
However, targeted intervention can help address these factors.
• Collaboration accelerates progress. Existing programs in Phillips and Coahoma counties are working hard to address teen pregnancy rates.
However, these communities would benefit from a multipronged approach in family, school, clinical, community, and government settings to accelerate progress and address the systemic nature of factors influencing teen pregnancy.
“Leveraging key networks and changing current systems could greatly accelerate progress and close the gap between this region and the nation in rates of teen pregnancy,” says the study’s lead author, Katie Adamek.
The Walton Family Foundation has a long history of supporting the Delta. Its founders Sam and Helen Walton saw potential for the Delta region of Arkansas and Mississippi over years of visits and work in the area. Today, the foundation supports organizations that promote economic development, improve education and enhance quality of life.
Walton Family Foundation
The Walton Family Foundation is, at its core, a family-led foundation. The children and grandchildren of our founders, Sam and Helen Walton, lead the foundation and create access to opportunity for people and communities.
The Foundation works in three areas: improving K-12 education, protecting rivers and oceans and the communities they support, and investing in our home region of Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta.
In 2018, the foundation awarded more than $595 million in grants in support of these initiatives. To learn more, visit waltonfamilyfoundation.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Mathematica Policy Research
Mathematica applies expertise at the intersection of data, methods, policy, and practice to improve well-being around the world.
They collaborate closely with public- and private-sector partners to translate big questions into deep insights that improve programs, refine strategies, and enhance understanding.
To learn more, visit mathematica-mpr.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, and subscribing to our On the Evidence podcast on Apple Podcasts or SoundCloud.
