Sociocultural Determinants of Teenage Pregnancy and Access to Maternal Healthcare among Adolescents in Oron Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT Teenage pregnancy and inadequate maternal healthcare access remain pressing public health concerns in Nigeria, particularly in Akwa Ibom State, where cultural norms and socioeconomic conditions intersect to shape adolescent reproductive outcomes. This qualitative study explores the sociocultural determinants of teenage pregnancy and their influence on access to maternal healthcare among adolescents in Oron Local Government Area (LGA), Akwa Ibom State. Anchored in Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, the study adopts a qualitative descriptive design. Purposive and snowball sampling will be used to recruit 20 pregnant and parenting adolescents aged 13–19 for in-depth interviews, while eight focus group discussions will be conducted with community women, traditional birth attendants, and religious leaders. Key informant interviews will be held with health workers and LGA health officials. Data will be analysed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis, with trustworthiness ensured through credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability strategies. The study anticipates generating themes that illuminate how family silence around sexuality, peer pressure, cultural beliefs about marriage and fertility, religious norms, and fear of stigmatisation collectively shape both the occurrence of teenage pregnancy and adolescents’ subsequent healthcare-seeking behaviour. By integrating the sociological dynamics of health recuperation (Solomon et al., 2025) with evidence on family status and teenage pregnancy (Willie et al., 2024), this study offers a locally grounded, culturally sensitive analysis that can inform community-engaged interventions. The findings will contribute to policy and programmatic efforts aimed at reducing teenage pregnancy and improving maternal health outcomes in Oron LGA and comparable rural Nigerian settings.