Spouse Support, Family Support Influencing Maternal Role Attainment in Adolescent Mothers

Purpose: The purpose of this predictive descriptive research was to examine influences of spouse support, family support and personal factors on maternal role attainment in adolescent mothers.

Methods: The purposive sample included 200 adolescent mothers bringing their 4 months - 1 year infants to well baby clinic at Sawanpracharak Hospital. Mean age of the mothers were 17.23 years (S.D. = 1.04, range = 15 - 18). Data were collected from January to May 2012. Research instruments included a demographic questionnaire, the spouse support questionnaire, the family support questionnaire, and the maternal role attainment questionnaires. Their Cronbach’s alpha reliability were .92, .91, and .95, respectively. Data were analyzed by using frequency, percent, mean, standard deviation and range. Pearson’s correlation and Chi-square were used to test correlation between variables. Hierarchical regression analysis were employed to test the predictors.

Results:

Results revealed as follows:

1. Mean total scores of spouse support, family support, and maternal role attainment were good level (X = 56.19, S.D. = 10.49;    X = 59.14, S.D. = 9.61; X = 211.21, S.D. = 24.95, respectively.

2. Spouse support, family support and income were positively correlated to maternal role attainment (r =.42 p<.01; r = .89 p<.01; r = .25 p<.01, respectively). Education were positively correlated to maternal role attainment (p<.01).

3. Family support and Education were significant predictors, and they accounted for 38.5 % in the prediction of maternal role attainment. The best predictor was family support (β = .54, p< .01), and the second predictor was education (β = .16, p< .01).

Conclusion:

These findings indicate that family, nurses should provide intervention to promote and encourage family support to adolescent mothers. Thus, outcome of the intervention can lead to increase appropriate maternal role attainment among adolescent mothers.