243449 “I've been pumping in the parking deck when I have to make milk for my baby”: University responses to the needs and perceptions of pregnant and parenting students

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Tracy R. Nichols, PhD , Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
Donna J. Biederman, RN, MN , Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
Meredith Gringle, MPH , Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
Virginia Brown, MA , Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
The demographic profile of college students has undergone significant change in recent years. Although most institutions of higher education are designed for the traditional student, 38% of college and university students are currently classified as non-traditional and over half are parenting at least one child. Recognition of the need for tailored support services is growing, yet few studies have examined the experiences of or institutional responses to pregnant and parenting (P&P) students. Assisting P&P students in their efforts to obtain post-secondary education can affect future health outcomes for both students and their families. A case study was conducted in a mid-sized state university to examine the needs and experiences of P&P students as well as the university's response to serving this population. Indepth interviews (N=61) with students, staff, faculty, and key informants were conducted and documents describing student services and institutional policies were reviewed. Results highlight a lack of policies and support services available to meet the needs of this population as well as a sense of isolation and invisibility for P&P students on campus. The lack of stated policies led to variation in practices and placed significant burden on P&P students and faculty. In addition, campus perceptions of the population centered on young single mothers and did not account for the diversity in sex, age, and marital status of the P&P students who participated in the study. Recommendations for both policy and services are provided and implications for universities across the nation are discussed.

Learning Areas:
Administration, management, leadership
Advocacy for health and health education

Learning Objectives:
1. Identify policy issues for pregnant and parenting university students 2. Identify practice issues for pregnant and parenting university students 3. Discuss the implications of providing tailored support to pregnant and parenting students in university settings

Keywords: College Students, Pregnancy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to present because I am a tenured faculty member in Public Health Education and have been conducting quantitative and qualitative research for over 20 years.
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.