TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring the influence of repeat pregnancy on the lives of teenage mothers
AU - Okine, Lucinda
AU - Dako-Gyeke, Mavis
AU - Baiden, Philip
AU - Saa-Touh Mort, Kingsley
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, © 2020 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Repeat pregnancy may be more challenging to teenage mothers and their children because of increased socio-economic impact, as well as the influence of generally short pregnancy interval. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, this study explored challenges faced by teenage mothers with repeat pregnancy and support services available to them. Utilizing a qualitative research design, convenience and snowball sampling methods were used to recruit 41 participants, which consisted of 33 teenage mothers and eight health workers from Mamprobi Polyclinic, Accra, Ghana. Individual in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were utilized to gather data that were analyzed thematically. Findings showed that teenage mothers faced educational, financial, and health challenges. They also experienced psychological issues, particularly stigma. Additionally, teenage mothers did not obtain much support from their spouses and had to fend for themselves or relied on their families, neighbors, and health workers. Furthermore, teenage mothers encountered some barriers (family members rationalizing their problems, being accused of infidelity, and negative attitudes of some health professionals) when they accessed support services. Moreover, many of the teenage mothers were ignorant of available formal support services. The findings suggest the need to promote education on repeat pregnancy, family planning, and available support services.
AB - Repeat pregnancy may be more challenging to teenage mothers and their children because of increased socio-economic impact, as well as the influence of generally short pregnancy interval. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, this study explored challenges faced by teenage mothers with repeat pregnancy and support services available to them. Utilizing a qualitative research design, convenience and snowball sampling methods were used to recruit 41 participants, which consisted of 33 teenage mothers and eight health workers from Mamprobi Polyclinic, Accra, Ghana. Individual in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were utilized to gather data that were analyzed thematically. Findings showed that teenage mothers faced educational, financial, and health challenges. They also experienced psychological issues, particularly stigma. Additionally, teenage mothers did not obtain much support from their spouses and had to fend for themselves or relied on their families, neighbors, and health workers. Furthermore, teenage mothers encountered some barriers (family members rationalizing their problems, being accused of infidelity, and negative attitudes of some health professionals) when they accessed support services. Moreover, many of the teenage mothers were ignorant of available formal support services. The findings suggest the need to promote education on repeat pregnancy, family planning, and available support services.
KW - Adolescent health
KW - social support
KW - subsequent pregnancies
KW - teenage pregnancy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85087936993&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/10911359.2020.1763226
DO - 10.1080/10911359.2020.1763226
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85087936993
SN - 1091-1359
SP - 863
EP - 880
JO - Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment
JF - Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment
ER -