U.S.- and Mexico-born Hispanic teen mothers: a descriptive study of factors that relate to postpartum compliance.

Abstract

This study examinedfactors that related to postpartum compliance in a group of U.S.-and Mexico-born Hispanic teens who delivered at a county hospital in Houston, Texas. Only 50 (17.3%) of the combined group returnedfor their scheduled postpartum visit. Returning teens across groups were more likely to have no prenatal care, have a preterm or expired infant, report no educational plan, but have a support system. When controlling for marital status, Mexico-born married teens were the most likely to return for postpartum visits. Medical services need to focus on cultural norms andfamily support systems to increase use of health services. These factors appear to be consistent across both groups of Hispanic teens although married teens from Mexico appear to be more compliant to health care.