Abstract
It has been proposed that, in the Mexican culture, family support can be a factor that contributes to protect the maternal and child health of pregnant adolescents. There may be complex associations between family support and the circumstances of a pregnancy during adolescence. The aim of the study was to analyze the association between the family support network (FSN) characteristic and the maternal and neonatal outcomes in Mexican adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted, and 352 pregnant adolescents participated; their FSN during pregnancy was assessed. The gestational weight gain and birth weight/length of newborns were registered. The size of the FSN was described and divided into quartiles; the main members for each quartile were identified. Then, sociodemographic and clinical variables were compared by FSN quartiles. Logistic regression models were performed to assess the association of FSN size and pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. Our results indicate that the mean age was 15 ± 1 year old. The primary support member in the FSN was the mother of the adolescent in each quartile, except for quartile 3, where the primary support was the mother-in-law. In quartile 3 there was a significantly lower gestational weight gain compared to quartile 4 (11.8 ± 5 vs. 13 ± 5 kg, p = 0.054). According to the regression model, a higher risk of small for gestational age (OR 2.99, CI 95% 1.25–7.15) newborns was found in quartile 3. We conclude that the maternal and neonatal outcomes did not differ between quartiles of FSN size, except for quartile 3. Small for gestational age newborns were observed when a non-blood relative was present in the FSN. The quality rather than the network size might be more important for improving pregnancy outcomes.
Highlights
Social capital is composed by several elements of social organization, such as norms and networks [1]
When pregnancy occurs during adolescence, family support becomes more important, because adolescents have a higher risk of inadequate gestational weight gain and low birth weight, in addition to their owns needs as adolescents per se [9,10]
A total of 352 pregnant adolescents participated in the study
Summary
Social capital is composed by several elements of social organization, such as norms and networks [1]. The social support network includes a combination of actions that are essential for maintaining individual physical and psychological health [2,3]. These actions are categorized into emotional (offering company and talking about problems), material (loaning money or things), collaborative (doing housework or providing transportation), and/or informational (providing the address or phone number of a medical service) support. Social support can be offered by family, friends, neighbors, or others. It can be assessed by its size, function, and quality of support provided [4]. When pregnancy occurs during adolescence, family support becomes more important, because adolescents have a higher risk of inadequate gestational weight gain and low birth weight, in addition to their owns needs as adolescents per se [9,10]
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