[Psychosocial and familial variables associated with teenage pregnancy]

Preventive measures for teenage pregnancy (TP), would decrease infant mortality, early undernutrition and statal social expenditure. The cost of programs for TP would decrease with a sensitive risk indicator. We searched some pysoshocial and familial parameters, useful to built up this indicator. Self esteem (Piers-Harris test), intrafamilial relationship (Familial Apgar of Magdaleno) and the use of break time were studied in 60 pregnant teenagers (PT), 60 non pregnant teenagers at a low risk of pregnancy (LRP) and 60 non pregnant teenagers at a high risk of pregnancy (HRP). PT and HRP showed lower self esteem than LRP (88.3, 70.0 Y 41.6% respectively, under 7 points) lower familial Apgar (61.6, 50 y 8.3% under score 6) and lower the quality of use of break time (66.7, 74.1 y 31.7% respectively with regular or deficient quality). The self esteem, intrafamilial relationship hand use of break time were associated to early pregnancy and high risk of pregnancy. These parameters are important to built up a sensitive risk indicator of early pregnancy in order to decrease the prevalence of this serious problem.