Analysis of the proportion of live births to adolescent mothers and temporal trend in Brazil (2008 TO 2017)

This study aims to estimate the proportion of live births to adolescent mothers for Brazil and regions and to provide a time trend and analysis of the spatial area, from 2008 to 2017. It is an ecological study of time series, with data collected from the Live Birth Information System (SINASC) and the Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System (DATASUS). We calculated the proportion of live births by dividing the number of live births of mothers from 10 to 19 years old, by the total live births of mothers in the same area, multiplied by 100. The use of polynomial regression enabled a time trend. The development of proportion maps promoted the analysis of spatial distribution. In Brazil, the proportion of live births to teenage mothers (10 to 19 years old) varied from 20.4% in 2008 to 16.5% in 2017. For all age groups (10 to 19, 10 to 14 and 15 to 19), the North region presented the highest proportions, followed by the Northeast region, both higher than national values. The Midwest showed a proportion similar to the national one. The Southeast region had the lowest proportions, followed by the South, both lower than the national. Brazil and all regions showed a decreasing trend in the proportion of live births to adolescent mothers for all age groups. Specific actions regarding adolescent reproductive and social care adapted to regional characteristics are necessary.