184510 Preventing Latina teen pregnancy: The important role of parents

Monday, October 27, 2008

Lauren Ralph, MPH , Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
M. Antonia Biggs, PhD , Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Sarah L. Schwartz, MPH , Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Abigail Arons , Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Alexandra Minnis, PhD, MPH , Women's Global Health Imperative, Research Triangle Institute, San Francisco, CA
Kristen Marchi, MPH , Center on Social Disparities in Health, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Claire Brindis, DrPH , Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Paula A. Braveman, MD, MPH , Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
The Latina teen birth rate is the highest of any major racial/ethnic group in the U.S. Developing teen pregnancy prevention messages for Latinas presents a unique challenge. Latinas have the highest rates of intended teen births, report an earlier desired age for childbearing, and express more ambivalence towards the timing of childbearing than other racial/ethnic groups. Latinas also report having less social support from family and friends regarding contraceptive use as compared to white teens. The current study aimed to identify key factors associated with delayed childbearing among Latinas. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 65 primarily low-income, pregnant Latinas in California, half of whom were teens and half of whom were born outside the U.S. Adult and teen responses to a series of open-ended questions regarding birth control access and use, educational and vocational expectations and experiences, and family and peer influences on childbearing were compared to highlight factors that helped the adults delay their first birth to adulthood. U.S. and immigrant adults alike described their parents' involvement in their lives as central to their decision to delay childbearing. Adults commonly described the quality of their parental relationship during their teenage years as open, communicative, and supportive, whereas teens often described difficult relationships and turbulent family environments. Still, adults and teens both reported that discussions directly related to sex or contraception were uncommon or ambiguous, suggesting that the protective role of parents lies primarily in the strengths of the relationships they develop with their children.

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the role that parents, educational experiences, and access to and information about birth control services plays on the childbearing decisions of young Latinas 2. Identify the various aspects of parent-child relationships that are protective of teen childbearing among Latinas 3. Apply study results to the development of teen pregnancy prevention messages aimed at Latina youth

Keywords: Teen Pregnancy, Latinas

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, with multiple years experience working on the evaluation of teen pregnancy prevention and family planning programs. I have experience in both quantitative and qualitative methods, and was involved in all aspects of data analysis for the study presented in this abstract.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.