Health-related behavior and adolescent mothers

To explore health-related behaviors among adolescent mothers living in the rural area of Taoyuan, Taiwan.

A cross-sectional descriptive design and nonrandom survey method were used.

The sample consisted of 37 adolescent mothers, identified by public health nurses.

Standardized interview and Adolescent Health Promotion (AHP) questionnaire.

Findings revealed a pattern of economic disadvantage. Nearly half of the participants still lived with their biological parents. Two-thirds needed economic support from their parents (generally coming from their biological mother). Thirty-five percent of participants reported never using contraceptives, two-thirds had never had a Pap smear, and 44% did not breast-feed their infants. Nearly 60% of the children were cared for by the biological mothers of the participants. Adolescent mothers with high school education, and who were employed, married, and received parental economic support had better health-related behaviors than adolescent mothers without these characteristics.

Although the study sample has geographic limitations, future international studies with similar populations of adolescent mothers in rural settings will help public health nurses understand adolescent mothers' stressors and needs which in turn affect their health-related behaviors. Intervention strategies are needed to encourage behaviors to keep this population healthy.