Perceptions of pregnant/parenting teens: reframing issues for an integrated approach to pregnancy problems

Indisputably, unplanned teen pregnancies have myriad personal, family, and social consequences, but answers to questions surrounding this phenomenon are far less obvious. The purpose of this investigation was to determine correlations, if any, between personal, family, and educational background factors and unplanned teen pregnancy. An anonymous questionnaire was administered to 341 volunteer respondents in 14 Teenage Pregnancy/Parenting Programs (TAPPS). Significant differences among respondents were related to family relationships, race/ethnicity, and sexuality education. These findings provide valuable information for family science researchers, family life educators, health personnel, policymakers, and parents who wish to ameliorate the problems in teen pregnancy/parenting by reframing issues for a more intergrated approach involving both prevention and intervention.