[Body image, cognition, behavior and social support of married pregnant adolescents during the third trimester]

In an attempt to compare the body image, cognition, behavior and social support in the third trimester of pregnancy between the pregnant adolescent and pregnant adult in the Tainan area, seventy-five pregnant adolescents during the third trimester were enrolled and matched to seventy-five pregnant adults who were also selected for this study. The results were as follows: The two groups were similar in their body image, cognition, and behavior. The order of sources from which the pregnant adult got information about infant's requirements was books, the neighborhood, friends, their mother, sisters, mother-in-law, and nurses. That for the pregnant adolescents was books, their mother, mother-in-law, neighborhood, friends, sisters, and nurses. The order of the preference for food of the pregnant adult was rice, pizza, sour food, sweet food, noodles, cookies, cola, hamburgers, and chocolates. That for the pregnant adolescents was noodles, sour food, pizza, sweet food, rice, hamburgers, cola, chocolates, and cookies. Both groups suffered from insomnia. However, the sleeping status of the pregnant adolescents was significantly worse than that of the pregnant adults. In both case, economic support came from spouse's income, but it was more obvious that pregnant adolescents relied on their parents' economic support more often than did normal pregnant women, the difference was statistically significant. The pregnant adult had a much higher score on social support than did the pregnant adolescents with a significant difference. Adolescents with unexpected pregnancies have lower social support scores than their adult counterparts.