Socio-ecological factors associated with probable depression among pregnant and parenting adolescent girls: findings from a cross-sectional study in Burkina Faso and Malawi

Background Pregnant and parenting adolescent girls are at risk of poor mental health because of stigma and social exclusion. Despite one in four girls starting childbearing by the age of 19 in Africa, no study, to the best of our knowledge, has examined the multi-layered factors (individual, family, friends, and neighborhood-related factors) associated with depressive symptoms among pregnant and parenting girls in Africa. Our study contributes to addressing this gap by examining the socio-ecological factors associated with depression symptoms among pregnant and parenting adolescent girls. Methods Our study adopted a cross-sectional design. Between March and September 2021, we interviewed 980 pregnant and parenting adolescent girls in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and 669 in Blantyre, Malawi. We recruited pregnant and parenting adolescent girls in randomly selected urban and rural enumeration areas in Burkina Faso (n = 71) and Malawi (n = 66). We assessed depressive symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), which generated an overall score of 27. We considered a score of 10 or more as probable depression. We also obtained information on individual, family, friends, and neighborhood characteristics. We employed logistic regression models to examine the significant factors associated with probable depression among pregnant and parenting adolescent girls. Results The prevalence of probable depression was 18.8% and 14.5% in Burkina Faso and Malawi, respectively. At the individual level, having secondary education was significantly associated with a lower likelihood of probable depression in Malawi (AOR: 0.47; 95% CI 0.27–0.82) but not in Burkina Faso. At the family level, denying paternity (AOR: 3.14; 95% CI 1.34–7.11 in Malawi) and no parental support (AOR: 2.08; 95% CI 1.22–3.55 in Burkina Faso) were associated with higher odds of probable depression. At the community level, perceived neighborhood safety was associated with a lower likelihood of probable depression in Malawi (AOR: 0.74; 95% CI 0.61–0.89) and Burkina Faso (AOR: 0.81; 95% CI 0.73–0.90). Having a safety net within the community was associated with lower odds of probable depression in Burkina Faso (AOR: 0.87; 95% CI 0.78–0.96) but not in Malawi. Conclusion Depressive symptoms are common among pregnant and parenting adolescents, suggesting the need to screen them regularly for depression during antenatal and postnatal visits. Factors associated with depression among pregnant and parenting girls operate at multiple levels suggesting a need for multilevel interventions that address all areas of vulnerabilities.