Subsequent Childbearing among Teenage Mothers in South Africa: A Longitudinal Analysis

Thandie Hlabana, Brown University

Using Cape Town Panel Study on young adults, this research employs life-course analysis to understand the timing of second births among adolescents in South Africa. The work is motivated by a body of research that identified subsequent childbearing as a key mediator of life-course outcomes for young mothers and their children. In particular, I explore the heterogeneity in the life-course experiences of young mothers by highlighting schooling factors that are associated with having a closely subsequent birth. I argue that young mothers’ schooling characteristics i) before first birth, ii) at first birth, and iii) after first birth play an important role in their timing of second births. Preliminary results suggests that being in school does not affect the likelihood of having a teen birth. However, returning to school after first birth is an important factor in the timing of second births. Nonetheless, this is confounded by socio-economic and environmental factors.