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Young Parents Project: a 21st-century nursing intervention
D B Hudson1, S M Elek, J R Westfall
1College of Nursing, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Lincoln 68588-0620, USA.
Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing
|May 29, 2000
Summary
The Young Parents Project provided vital health information and social support to adolescent mothers via a computer network. This pilot study highlights the positive impact of technology on young parents navigating new challenges.
Area of Science:
- Health Informatics
- Maternal and Child Health
- Sociology
Background:
- Adolescent mothers face unique challenges in accessing health information and social support.
- Technology offers a potential avenue for delivering resources to this population.
- The Young Parents Project aimed to bridge this gap using a computer network.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the utilization of the Young Parents Project by adolescent mothers.
- To explore the types of health information and support exchanged.
- To evaluate the overall effectiveness of the computer network intervention.
Main Methods:
- An exploratory, descriptive pilot study design was employed.
- Nine adolescent mothers in the Midwest were provided home computer access to the Young Parents Project.
- Usage data (access times, duration) and electronic message content (peer-to-peer, nurse-to-mother) were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Participants accessed the network 834 times, totaling 7,046 minutes over one year.
- Over 400 peer messages and 110 messages to nurses were exchanged.
- Content analysis revealed key themes: introductions, emotional/social support, infant care, postpartum concerns, finances, education, and technical assistance.
Conclusions:
- The Young Parents Project was positively evaluated by adolescent mothers.
- The computer network effectively provided health information and social support.
- This technology-based intervention shows promise for supporting young parents.