Teen birth rate down, as is pregnant smoking
Clark County figures still exceed Ohio average, assessment reveals.
The prevalence of birth among teens and smoking among preg
nant people in Clark County are both in decline, but still outpace Ohio’s average.
These were among the many findings in the Clark County Combined Health District’s 2022 community health assessment, which was published last month. “Our main focuses, when it
comes to maternal, infant and sexual health, are infant mortality, prenatal care, syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections and teen births,” said Clark County Combined Health District epidemiologist Anna Jean Sauter. She spoke during the health district’s recent weekly public health livestream.
From 2012 to 2020, the birth rate among teens aged 15-17 in Clark County fell from 33.5 births per 1,000 teens to 22.1, according to the health assessment.
The health district estimated that the county overall saw a 34% decline in teen births in that timeframe.
But during that period, Clark County’s rate was still higher than the state’s, said Sauter, Clark County epidemiologist. Ohio saw a 46% drop from 2012-2020.
Pregnancy and birth are significant contributors to high school dropout rates among girls. Roughly 50% of teen mothers receive a high school diploma by 22 years of age, whereas approximately 90% of women who do not give birth during adolescence graduate from high school, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The children of teenage mothers are more likely to have lower
school achievement and to drop out of high school, have more health problems, be incarcerated at some time during adolescence, give birth as a teenager, and face
unemployment as a young adult, the CDC reported.
Smoking during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, premature delivery, stillbirth and low birth weight, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
Clark County has a higher percentage of pregnant people who have smoked during pregnancy compared to the state, but the county has also seen a decline in smoking during pregnancy.
Between 2012 and 2020, the rate of individuals who smoked tobacco products during pregnancy fell from 25 people per 1,000 to a little more than 18 people per 1,000.
This figure does not include people who use vaping products while pregnant.
Smoking during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, premature delivery, stillbirth and low birth weight, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
Non-hispanic Black people in Clark County outpaced the state in the same demographic for low-birthweight rates in 2014, 2015 and 2018. That same demographic in Clark County fell below the state’s average in 2020, according to the community health assessment.
The health district attributes the drops in teen pregnancy and smoking while pregnant to public awareness campaigns and education around both issues.
Sauter said the assessment, completed every three years, represents a “snapshot” in time for Clark County’s community health. The health district works with different community partners to gather data.
“From that, we are able to identify our health priorities, the issues that are most affecting the health of people in Clark County,” she said. “That leads us to create goals and strategies to try to improve those things.”
Sauter said the health district’s plan developed through the health assessment prioritized maternal, infant and sexual health. The previous health assessment prioritized the same issue, among others.
“There were still opportunities where we could make progress,” said Clark County assistant health commissioner Chris Cook.