CT Teen Births and Poverty Level

The number of births to females ages 15-17 per 1,000 females for that age group on a town or county. The rate is calculated by dividing the number of females 15 through 17 years old who gave birth by the total number of females in that age group in a town or county and multiplying by 1,000. The total number of females 15 through 17 years old is estimated by applying the 2000 Census proportions to the population estimates from the Connecticut Department of Public Health for those years. The birth rate of 18-19 year-old girls in not reported because the number of females in this age group is skewed in towns with colleges. Similarly, births to females under age 15 have been excluded because there are very few for this group (about 60 per year). This inclusion of females under 15 in the denominator would dramatically lower the rate, giving an underestimate of the risk for births to teenagers. The poverty level represents the number of families per 100 families with at least one children under 18.