Contributing factors of teenage pregnancy among African-American females living in economically disadvantaged communities

Teen pregnancy involvement among African, Caribbean and Black adolescent boys and girls: A scoping review

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to investigate the incidence, associated factors and interventions to address teen pregnancy involvement (TPI) among African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) adolescents in North America.

DESIGN

We conducted a scoping review of the literature, guided by the social-ecological model.

DATA SOURCES

Studies were retrieved from databases such as Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, CINAHL, CAB Direct and Google Scholar and imported into COVIDENCE for screening.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The Joanna Briggs Institute scoping reviews protocol guided the establishment of eligibility criteria. Included studies focused on rates, associated factors and interventions related to TPI among ACB boys and girls aged 10-19 in North America. The publication time frame was restricted to 2010-2023, encompassing both peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed studies with diverse settings.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Data were extracted from 32 articles using a form developed by the principal author, focusing on variables aligned with the research question.

RESULTS

The scoping review revealed a dearth of knowledge in Canadian and other North American literature on TPI in ACB adolescents. Despite an overall decline in teen pregnancy rates, disparities persist, with interventions such as postpartum prescription of long-acting birth control and teen mentorship programmes proving effective.

CONCLUSION

The findings highlight the need for increased awareness, research and recognition of male involvement in adolescent pregnancies. Addressing gaps in housing, employment, healthcare, sexual health education and health systems policies for marginalised populations is crucial to mitigating TPI among ACB adolescents.

IMPACT

The review underscores the urgent need for more knowledge from other North American countries, particularly those with growing ACB migrant populations.

Trends in alcohol-related harm among Swedish youth: Do in-patient care registry data match drinking trends?

INTRODUCTION

Youth drinking has been declining in Sweden since the year 2000. There is a paucity of studies examining trends in alcohol-related harm during this period. The overall aim of the present study is to examine how trends in alcohol-related harm match trends in drinking among Swedish youths during 2000-2021.

METHODS

Measures of alcohol use were obtained from national school surveys. Prevalence rates of any alcohol use and heavy episodic drinking were used. Alcohol-related harm indicators were obtained from registry information from the National Board of Health and Welfare. Annual trends in harm indicators were tested with linear regression models and correlations between alcohol use and alcohol-related harm indicators were assessed using Pearson's correlation on annual data.

RESULTS

Statistically significant negative trends were observed for all alcohol-related harm indicators for the period 2000-2021. Significant correlations were found for both measures of alcohol use and all alcohol-related harm indicators.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

The levels of alcohol-related harm have declined among youths in Sweden during the period 2000-2021. The trends in harm seem to reflect the decline in youth drinking that has occurred during the same period.

Preventing Teen Pregnancy: A Qualitative Study of the Perspectives of Parenting and Expecting Latino Adolescents

STUDY OBJECTIVE

Latino youths in the United States experience disproportionately high rates of teen pregnancy. The aim of this study was to obtain expecting and parenting Latino adolescents' perspectives regarding factors contributing to teen pregnancy and pregnancy prevention.

METHODS

Expecting/parenting Latino adolescents were recruited from high schools with high proportions of Latino youths and teen pregnancy. Participants completed a questionnaire on sociodemographic and background characteristics. Focus groups were stratified by age and gender and audio recorded. Grounded theory was used to identify themes from the transcribed audio recordings.

RESULTS

Thirty-two expecting/parenting Latino adolescents (20 females, 12 males) 14-19 years old participated in four focus groups. Quantitative results revealed that two-thirds of participants at birth had adolescent mothers. Over three-quarters of participants reported that their pregnancies had occurred too soon. Qualitative themes for factors contributing to teen pregnancy included lack of contraceptive knowledge/access, belief of invincibility, influence within relationships, male decisions on contraceptive use, desire to belong among peers, lack of parental support for contraceptive use, lack of parental attention, rebellion, normalization of adolescent parenthood in Latino culture, and media. Themes for pregnancy prevention included time alone with physicians, parenting teens as mentors, reproductive health education, and community pregnancy-prevention programs.

CONCLUSION

Multiple factors contribute to teen pregnancy in Latino youth, including influences from Latino culture, family, peers, partners, and social determinants of health. Pregnancy prevention should incorporate interventions to address these aspects, including disseminating culturally sensitive education materials, providing parenting teens as peer mentors, encouraging time alone with health care providers, and addressing various social determinants of health.

Teen pregnancy involvement among African, Caribbean and Black adolescent boys and girls: a scoping review protocol

INTRODUCTION

African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) adolescents are disproportionately affected by teen pregnancy in North America. Teen pregnancy poses risks to the quality of life of adolescent boys and girls, including physical, psychosocial and socioeconomic risks. Our review aims to explore this public health concern for ACB adolescents within North America. We aim to identify and analyse available evidence on the incidence and prevalence of, associated factors of and interventions to curtail teen pregnancy involvement (TPI) among ACB adolescent boys and girls in North America. This review will explore TPI, rather than teen pregnancy, to ensure a review of men' involvement in teen pregnancy outcomes.

METHODS AND ANALYSES

Health literature databases such as CINAHL, OVID (Medline and Embase) and CAB direct. Searches will be conducted for evidence published from 2001 to October 2021. Search results will be exported to Covidence for subsequent steps of the review. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Review guidelines will be used to ensure reproducibility and transparency. We will include all study designs focused on ACB boys and girls between 10 and 19 years old, residing in North America. Studies with a mixed racial sample will be included if sample consists of greater than 50% ACB individuals.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

TPI is a public health concern with socioeconomic and health consequences for ACB teens in North America. A scoping review such as this will provide direction for healthcare practice, policy changes, education and further research in reducing the incidence of TPI in North America. Study results will be disseminated via presentations at conferences, at target populations, communities and organisations and publications via peer-reviewed journals. As knowledge generated from this scoping review will stem from previously published evidence, an ethical approval is not needed.

AIM for Teen Moms: Social Support's Role in Contraception Use Among Young Mothers

PURPOSE

Rapid repeat pregnancy is associated with negative outcomes for teen mothers and their offspring. Contraceptive use can reduce this risk. We explored the impact of AIM for Teen Moms, a future-oriented behavioral intervention, on emotional and tangible support and the influence of this support on the attitudes, intentions, and past 3-month contraceptive use behaviors.

METHOD

Participants were 295 first-time moms (ages 15-19) in Los Angeles County who participated in a randomized control trial intervention to reduce rapid repeat pregnancies. Participants completed surveys at baseline and 36-months. Hypotheses were tested using multivariate and interaction analysis.

RESULTS

Teen mothers in treatment group reported more emotional (β =.13, p < .05) and tangible support (β =.13, p < .05). Higher tangible support was positively associated with birth control attitudes (β =.13, p < .05), which, in turn, predicted intention to use birth control (β =.31, p < .001). Intention to use birth control also predicted higher past 3-month birth control use (β =.18, p < .01); there was also a direct path from attitude to 3-month birth control use (β =.35, p < .001). There was no association between emotional support and birth control attitudes, intentions, or behaviors.

CONCLUSION

AIM for Teen Mom's effects on contraception use at 36 months was mediated by social support, specifically tangible support, which, in turn, affected birth control attitudes, intentions, and reported birth control use. Interventionists must consider how intervention content can specifically address the building of target support to meet the needs of teen mothers.

Racial/Ethnic Disparity in Suicidal Ideation, Suicide Attempt and Non-suicidal Intentional Self-harm Among Pregnant Women in the United States

We examined the prevalence of suicidal ideation, suicide attempt and non-suicidal intentional self-harm among pregnant women in the United States stratified by race/ethnicity. Data on hospital admissions among pregnant women 15-49 years during 2016-2017 compiled in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample were used for this study. We assessed the prevalence and factors of suicidal ideation, suicide attempt and non-suicidal intentional self-harm among different race/ethnicities. The prevalence of suicidal ideation, suicide attempt and non-suicidal intentional self-harm was greatest among hospitalized Non-Hispanic (NH) Black pregnant women. As compared to pregnant women who were routinely discharged, those who died during the course of hospitalization had about eight times the odds for NH-Whites, four times the odds for NH-Blacks and five times the odds for Hispanics of suicidal ideation or attempt. Appropriate measures are needed for prompt diagnosis and management of mental health issues in pregnant women belonging to vulnerable sub-groups.