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School-based support for urban adolescent mothers
M Meadows1, L S Sadler, G D Reitmeyer
1Pediatric Primary Care Center, Yale New Haven Hospital, Yale University School of Nursing, New Haven, Conn., USA.
Summary
School-based programs for adolescent mothers significantly improved infant birth weights and high school completion rates. These findings highlight the benefits of supportive interventions for young mothers and their children.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Adolescent Health
- Maternal and Child Health
Background:
- Adolescent mothers face unique challenges impacting infant health and educational attainment.
- School-based programs offer a structured environment to support young mothers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of the Polly T. McCabe Center, an urban school-based program, on infant birth weights and high school completion rates.
- To assess outcomes for two cohorts of adolescent mothers attending the program.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective record review of two convenience samples of adolescent mothers.
- Study I: 47 mothers (aged 16.1 ± 1.4 years) from 1992-1993.
- Study II: 60 mothers (aged 15.9 ± 1.4 years) from 1996-1997.
Main Results:
- Incidence of low birth weight infants was 4% (Study I) and 13.6% (Study II).
- High school continuation/completion rates were 79% at 3 years post-program (Study I) and 80% at 1 year post-program (Study II).
Conclusions:
- The Polly T. McCabe Center intervention positively impacted adolescent mothers and their infants.
- Supportive school-based programs can help reduce low birth weight incidence and high school dropout rates among adolescent mothers.