Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #114573

Cary K. Hardwick, MA, MSN, MS, Department of Nutrition, Harvard University School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MN 02115, 617-432-5518, chardwic@hsph.harvard.edu and Fiona J. Craft, MSN, FNP, Providence Community Health Center, 375 Allens Ave., Providence, RI 02905.

According to recent demographic data in Rhode Island, Latinos have one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in the state. Research has documented an associated risk of adolescent pregnancy and childbirth with a host of ensuing medical and socioeconomic problems for both the teenage mother and her child. However, there has been very little research on Latino teenagers and their personal experiences with family planning and conception. Individual interviews (n=5) and one focus group (n=5) were conducted with young women of Dominican descent who had their first child between the ages of 15-19 years. Using open ended questions, both the interviews and focus group explored the women's own experiences with and perceptions of family planning and conception. The qualitative data was analyzed for emerging themes using ATLAS.ti. Identified themes from both the in-depth interviews and focus group included the expected adolescent perception of invulnerability as well as lack of knowledge about sex, conception and pregnancy. In addition, a lack of communication with female guardians about these issues was identified. Women also described important cultural views that could be influential to increased risk of pregnancy, specifically, a Dominican belief that certain birth control methods, such as the pill, can cause sterility, which is taught to young girls by their mothers. These findings have implications for health care providers who work with young Dominican women as they can play critical roles in the early education of adolescents and promote conversation between mothers and their teenage daughters.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify three contributing factors in this group of Dominican women that may have contributed to their adolescent pregnancies.
• Identify two ways that health professionals can provide better sex education to young Dominican teenagers.

Keywords: Adolescents, Pregnancy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.