Paper
Thursday, 20 July 2006
This presentation is part of : Adolescent Health Issues
Self-Perceptions of Parenting in Adolescent Mothers
Josephine M. DeVito, PhD, RN, Maternal Child Nursing, Seton Hall University College of Nursing, South Orange, NJ, USA
Learning Objective #1: identify the relationships the adolescent mother has with her mother and the father of the newborn on her self-perceptions of parenting.
Learning Objective #2: identify the different stages of adolescence (early, middle, and late) and the influences on self-perceptions of parenting.
Background/Purpose: Although there is a growing body of literature on self-perception of parenting among adult mothers, less is know about factors associated with self-perceptions of parenting in adolescent mothers. The purpose of this study was to examine factors that contribute to the self-perceptions of parenting for adolescent mothers during the 4 to 6 week post partum period. Methods: A descriptive correlational design was used. Healthy first time adolescent mothers (n=126; range: 13 to 19 years of age) completed a demographic form, the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire (NSSQ), and the What Being the Parent of a New Baby Is Like: Revised Instrument (WPL-R). The framework was derived from theoretical and empirical literature on role identity, social support relationships, and developmental perspectives for adolescents. Findings: These adolescent mothers identified their own mother as their primary social support. The higher the level of emotional support the adolescent received from her mother, the more positive was the evaluation of parenting (r = +.54, p = .01). However, the more tangible support the adolescent received from her mother, the lower was the evaluation of parenting (r = -.25, p = .01). For the father of the newborn both emotional support (r = +.41, p = .01), and tangible support (r = +.27, p = .01) were positively related to evaluation of parenting. Older, more educated adolescent mothers were more positive in self-perceptions of parenting. Late stage adolescent mothers had a more positive evaluation of their parenting and the newborn was more central in their life. Conclusions/Recommendations: These findings provide empirical evidence that older and younger adolescents are developmentally different and have different needs in terms of parenting. This is important in designing and implementing nursing care and education for adolescent mothers. Interventions to boost social support may enhance self-perception of parenting for adolescent mothers.

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