Investigating the effects of early childbearing on the well-being of the young girls in Palorinya Refugee Camp Obongi District
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Date
2026-06-05
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Uganda Christian University
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of early childbearing on the well-being of young girls in Palorinya Refugee Settlement. The study was guided by the increasing concern over the high rates of teenage pregnancies and early motherhood among refugee communities, which continue to negatively affect the social, economic, physical, and psychological well-being of young girls. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of early childbearing on the lives of young girls living in Palorinya Refugee Camp in Obongi District. The study was guided by the following objectives: to identify the causes of early childbearing among young girls in Palorinya Refugee Camp, to assess the effects of early childbearing on their well-being, and to suggest possible interventions for reducing early childbearing and improving the welfare of affected girls. The study employed a descriptive research design using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data was collected from young mothers, parents, community leaders, health workers, and humanitarian workers through questionnaires, interviews, and focus group discussions. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. The findings of the study revealed that poverty, lack of parental guidance, limited access to education, peer pressure, sexual violence, cultural practices, and inadequate reproductive health information were major contributors to early childbearing among young girls in the refugee settlement. The study further established that early childbearing negatively affected girls’ education, health, emotional stability, social relationships, and economic well-being. Many young mothers experienced school dropout, stigma, depression, health complications, and increased dependency on aid and relatives for survival. The study concluded that early childbearing remains a major social and public health challenge affecting the well-being of young girls in Palorinya Refugee Camp. The study recommended strengthening sexual and reproductive health education, improving access to youth-friendly health services, promoting girl-child education, enhancing parental and community support systems, and implementing programs aimed at empowering adolescent girls economically and socially.
Key words: Early childbearing, well-being, young girls, refugee settlement, adolescent pregnancy, Palorinya Refugee Camp, Obongi District.
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Undergraduate