Attitudes of Teenage Mothers towards Pregnancy and Childbirth.

Agnieszka Bałanda-Bałdyga,Anna Bogusława Pilewska-Kozak,Celina Łepecka-Klusek,Grażyna Stadnicka,Beata Dobrowolska

doi:10.3390/ijerph17041411

Agnieszka Bałanda-Bałdyga, Anna Bogusława Pilewska-Kozak + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17041411

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Abstract

The problem of early motherhood is still a serious medical and social problem in many countries around the world. The aim of this study was to analyze the attitudes of teenage mothers towards pregnancy and childbirth. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted with the use of an original questionnaire containing a test to measure attitudes on a five-point Likert scale and a Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) to assess dispositional optimism. The study involved 308 teenage mothers between 13 and 19 years of age. Attitudes of teenage mothers towards pregnancy and childbirth were more often positive (90.6%) than negative (9.4%). Sociodemographic features determining the attitudes of teenage mothers towards both their pregnancy and childbirth included their age, marital status, current occupation, and main source of income. The type of attitude adopted by teenage mothers towards pregnancy and childbirth was significantly related to the level of their dispositional optimism.

Highlights

The occurrence of pregnancy in a teenager disturbs the commonly accepted model of life, in which the first step is to obtain an education, take up a job and become financially independent, and only start a family [1,2,3]
The analysis showed a significant correlation between the level of optimism and the attitude towards pregnancy and the attitude towards childbirth: p = 0.02; p = 0.005, respectively
Based on reports from the literature, it could be assumed that many teenagers adopt a negative attitude towards pregnancy and childbirth [1,3,28]

Summary

Introduction

The occurrence of pregnancy in a teenager disturbs the commonly accepted model of life, in which the first step is to obtain an education, take up a job and become financially independent, and only start a family [1,2,3] It has an adverse effect on the personal sphere of life (health and emotional stability), as well as on the social aspect of life. Teenagers are standing on the threshold of adult life with no life stabilization in terms of job security, own habitation, and financial and economic independence They face difficulties in continuing education, are dependent on their parents who exercise custody, and have a harder start on the labor market. There is no controversy, over the observation that the younger the mother, the greater the risk of complications in her and her child [9,19]

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