Introduction: Adolescent childbearing has been viewed as a social, political, and public health priority since the 1970s. Research has primarily focused on the negative consequences of teen pregnancy; less research has explored factors associated with healthy pregnancy and birth experiences in this population.
Method: Using open-ended and qualitative techniques, researchers performed individual interviews with 15 adolescent mothers (15 to 19 years of age) recruited from a Women's and Children's Clinic in Southern Louisiana, who had experienced a healthy pregnancy and bore a full-term, normal birth weight infant. We used a resiliency framework to identify factors that may have supported positive health outcomes despite risks associated with low-income and/or marginalized minority status.
Results: A total of 15 mothers of multiple racial/ethnic identities were included in the analysis. Mothers discussed potential protective factors that we classified as either assets (internal factors) or resources (external factors). Mothers demonstrated strong assets including self-efficacy and self-acceptance and important resources including familial support and partner support during pregnancy which may have contributed to their resiliency.
Discussion: Ensuring access to social and structural supports as well as supporting adolescent-friendly health and social policies may be key to promoting healthy maternal and infant outcomes among young women who become pregnant. (PsycINFO Database Record
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