Race, class, and adolescent pregnancy: An ecological analysis.

The U.S. has one of the highest rates of adolescent pregnancy and childbearing in the industrialized world--and the highest rates in the U.S. are found among low-income black adolescents. This paper addresses the problem via a four-part theoretical framework based on an ecological developmental model. Variables that contribute to adolescent pregnancy in the black community are examined at the individual, family, sociocultural, and social structural levels. The potential utility of this framework is discussed, and suggestions are offered for research and programmatic intervention.