Early childbearing, human capital attainment, and mortality risk: Evidence from a longitudinal demographic surveillance area in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Using a rich longitudinal data set, we examine the relationship between teen fertility and both subsequent educational outcomes and HIV-related mortality risk in rural South Africa. Human capital deficits among teen mothers are large and significant, with earlier births associated with greater defic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Economic development and cultural change 2015-01, Vol.63 (2), p.281-317
Main Authors: Ardington, Cally, Menendez, Alicia, Mutevedzi, Tinofa
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
Adolescents
Age
Bildungsabschluss
Birth
Childbirth & labor
Contraceptive methods
Death
Demographic change
Demographics
Education
Educational attainment
Females
Fertility
HIV
Human Capital
Human immunodeficiency virus
Jugendlicher
KwaZulu-Natal
Mortality
Mortality Rates
Mothers
Pregnancy
Risk
Risk factors
Rural Areas
Schwangerschaft
Socioeconomics
South Africa
Sterblichkeit
Studies
Südafrika (Staat)
Teenage parents
Women
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Summary:Using a rich longitudinal data set, we examine the relationship between teen fertility and both subsequent educational outcomes and HIV-related mortality risk in rural South Africa. Human capital deficits among teen mothers are large and significant, with earlier births associated with greater deficits. In contrast to many other studies from developed countries, we find no clear evidence of selectivity into teen childbearing in either schooling trajectories or prefertility household characteristics. Enrollment rates among teen mothers only begin to drop in the period immediately preceding the birth, and future teen mothers are not behind in their schooling relative to other girls. Older teen mothers and those further ahead in school for their age prebirth are more likely to continue schooling after the birth. In addition to adolescents’ higher biological vulnerability to HIV infection, pregnancy also appears to increase the risk of contracting HIV. Following women over an extended period, we document a higher HIV-related mortality risk for teen mothers that cannot be explained by household characteristics in early adulthood. Controlling for age at sexual debut, we find that teen mothers report lower condom use and older partners than other sexually active adolescents.
ISSN:0013-0079
1539-2988
DOI:10.1086/678983