[Adolescent pregnancy in Barcelona: its distribution, antecedents and consequences]

This paper describes the distribution of fertility and abortion rates in the city of Barcelona (Spain) in adolescent in 1990. The adolescents' socio-demographic background and characteristics of their family unit obtained from the statistically bulletin of birth are analyzed. In this year, there were 248 births and 195 abortions to women between 15 and 19 years-old, yielding a rate of 3.9 and 3.1 per thousand, respectively, so that at least 7 per 1000 were pregnant. Fertility rates varied by district between 0.8 in Sarrià-Sant Gervasi and 14.6 in the inner city district of Ciutat Vella, with a high positive correlation of these rates and a district social problem index (r = 0.96) and a high negative correlation with an index of family economic wealth (r = 0.93). Around two thirds (63%) of the adolescent mothers reported to be living with their parents after childbirth, and their companion joins this unit in four out of ten cases. In 14.5% of births, the father's age under 20, although the most of them (39.1%) were between 20 and 24 years-old. Although teenage fertility rates have been declining during the last years in Barcelona, the strong correlation with socio-economic indicators encourages the design of specific programs addressing socially disadvantaged groups. In addition, several risk factors can be used to identify adolescent mothers at risk when designing specific interventions such as the lack of recognized paternity by the father, dropping out of school, or lacking family's support.