WEDNESDAY, Feb. 27, 2013 (HealthDay News) -- In 2010, teen births occurred at higher rates in rural counties than in suburban counties and major urban areas of the United States, new research finds.
The teen birth rate was almost one-third higher in rural counties compared to the rest of the country, researchers from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy reported.
Specifically, the data showed that:
"This data provides an answer to a straightforward but previously unanswered question: Is rural teen childbearing higher or lower than in other places?" Sarah Brown, CEO of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, said in a news release from the nonprofit organization. "Clearly the need for efforts to help rural teens avoid too-early pregnancy and parenthood is great."
The research is based on statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.
More information
For more about teen pregnancy, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.