Review: Teen pregnancy and parenting: a qualitative study into attitudes and behaviours of teenaged long-term Hispanics in New Mexico

摘要

As an issue, teenage pregnancy has been the focus of public health agendas, research proposals and preventative programmes across many cultures for decades. While some studies have brought to light the positive rewards of teen parenthood, such as giving and receiving love, and motherhood as a motivation for making better choices (Herman, 2008), the overwhelming perception is that becoming a parent under the age of 20 years will have negative health and social consequences for both the young parent and their child. Hence, teenage pregnancy is associated with poor educational and employment attainment for the mother, lower birth weight, increased risk of poverty, poorer housing and nutrition.