Information Needs and Seeking Behaviour of Pregnant Teenage Girls in Yenagoa Metropolis, Bayelsa State

Abstract

This paper investigated the information needs and information-seeking behaviour of pregnant teenage girls in Yenagoa Metropolis, Bayelsa State. Three (3) objectives were formulated to guide the study, namely to identify the types of information needed, information-seeking behaviour, and the challenges encountered in seeking information by pregnant teenage girls in Yenagoa Metropolis, Bayelsa State. The study population was 570, as reported by the Social Welfare Office of Yenagoa Local Government Area. A purposive sampling technique was adopted to arrive at a sample size of 57 pregnant teenage girls, using 10% of the total population. A questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection; the data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages. One of the findings revealed that pregnant teenage girls in the study area said they needed information on contraceptives and sex education. The paper recommended that governments at all levels should establish
libraries and information centres in churches, mosques, kings’ palaces, and community town halls to provide information resources on teenage pregnancies.