Although recent studies examine overall fertility trends in West Africa, few using advanced demographic techniques focus on adolescents. This study explores long‐term patterns of adolescent childbearing in 12 West African countries using 51 Demographic and Health Surveys covering birth cohorts that span 54 years (1940–1994). We employ classic demographic measures as well as disaggregation by early‐ (10–14 years old), middle‐ (15–17), and late adolescence (18–19). Cohort‐based estimates of total adolescent births, parity progression ratios, and rapid repeat birth probabilities reveal little change over time. Most women begin childbearing in adolescence, the progression to additional adolescent births remains common, and the incidence of rapid repeat births is high. In recent cohorts, women exit adolescence with an average of between 0.4 (Ghana) to 1.3 (Niger) births. Contrary to common assumptions, it is women commencing motherhood in early‐ and middle‐, not later adolescence, who account for most West African adolescent fertility.

中文翻译：

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西非青少年生育50年的不为人知的故事：关于青少年生育的量子，时间和间隔的队列研究

尽管最近的研究检查了西非的总体生育趋势，但很少使用先进的人口统计技术来关注青少年。这项研究使用51个人口与健康调查（涵盖了54年（1940-1994年）的出生队列），探讨了12个西非国家的青少年生育的长期模式。我们采用经典的人口统计指标，并按早期（10-14岁），中期（15-17）和青春期后期（18-19）进行分类。基于队列的青少年总出生率，同等进展率和快速重生几率的估算显示，随着时间的推移变化不大。大多数妇女在青春期开始生育，到青春期再出生的情况仍然很普遍，快速重生的发生率很高。在最近的队列中，女性平均以0岁退出青春期。4（加纳）至1.3（尼日尔）出生。与通常的假设相反，在西非青春期生育率最高的是妇女，在青春期的早期和中期而不是后期的时期开始了母亲的生活。