New Study on Teen Births in California Released -- California Capitol Hill Bulletin -- Volume 10, Bulletin 5 -- March 6, 2003

According to the new report released on February 13, 2003 by the Public Policy Institute

of California, teen births in the state have fallen below the national average over the last decade. The report, penned by Hans P. Johnson, found that the numbers for teen births have declined 40 percent between 1991 and 2001 for every racial and ethnic group in California, falling from 72,000 births in 1991 to an approximate historic low of 53,000 teen births in 2001.

The author reports that 68 percent, or two in three babies born to teens in the state, are Latinas, 18 percent are born to non-Hispanic whites, 9 percent to African-Americans, and 4 percent to Asian and Pacific Islanders. While teen births have gradually declined in California, the numbers of teen mothers that are unmarried has been rising, constituting 78 percent in 2000 as compared to 63 percent in 1990 and 29 percent in 1970, according to the report.

Some areas of the state have been shown to have higher number of teen births than others. For instance, San Joaquin Valley has the highest teen birth rates of any other region in the state, while the Bay Area has one of the lowest rates. One explanation for such a variation in teen birth rate distribution can be partially provided by differences in the demographic composition in these areas, since San Joaquin Valley has a relatively high proportion of resident Latinas as compared to Bay Area, Mr. Johnson wrote.

In addition, the study also found that the majority of the fathers of children born to teen mothers are not teenagers themselves, with an average of a four-year difference in age between partners. A substantial share of teen births, according to the study, are a result of statutory rape, which applies in cases where the mother is unmarried and younger than 18 years of age.

The study makes several recommendations in a quest to reduce teen births in California. It recommends that programs to reduce teen pregnancy and childbearing in the state consider cultural contexts, regional differences, and historical patterns, and target interventions accordingly.

For more information on this study, please visit: www.ppic.org

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