Presents model of adolescent parenting, emphasizing multiple influences that social support has on maternal personality, health and nutritional status, cognitive readiness for parenting, and actual parenting behavior and child development. Concludes life span perspective is useful in evaluating teenage mother's social support needs and individual…

Meta-analysis of five studies advocating nutrition education for pregnant women led to recommendations for research: (1) define nutrition education to aid replication; (2) describe the intervention thoroughly; (3) use experimental designs; (4) collect follow-up data; and (5) describe baseline demographic, behavioral, and health characteristics of…

Discusses the following barriers to reducing the infant mortality rate: (1) fragmented and bureaucratic federal prenatal care programs; (2) insufficient number of rural public health clinics and private practitioners willing to serve low-income expectant mothers; (3) lack of health insurance; and (4) the high-risk behavior and motivation of…

Formative evaluation of San Francisco's Homeless Prenatal Program showed that it improves birth outcomes and transforms clients' lives. Its empowerment model emphasizes the mother-child connection as well as "giving back"; community health outreach workers were themselves homeless mothers who provide peer support and serve as role…

Compared blood screening data for 200 urban and rural pregnant women in Nigeria. Found that rural subjects had a greater incidence of moderate anemia than did urban subjects, and corpuscular hemoglobin concentrations fell with increased gestational age. No relationship was found between hemoglobin counts and nutrition habits. (HTH)

Focus groups with nonparenting, urban, African-American females examined their attitudes toward teen pregnancy, the social impact of teen pregnancy, and contraception. Results indicated that though the adolescents believed pregnancy and parenting were best delayed until later, they felt they were common, manageable experiences with plenty of…

Examines American-Indian adolescents' perceptions of risk factors and effects associated with alcohol use during pregnancy, and age-related prevention strategies for fetal alcohol syndrome. Results indicate peer pressure, influences of adult drinking behaviors, stressful family environment, and acceptance of alcohol use in Indian community may be…

Details creation of Adoption Option, Inc., a public adoption agency founded in 1986 in Ohio. Highlights three program areas of agency's mission: (1) training for those who assist pregnant women/teens with unplanned pregnancies; (2) educational programs for school-based health curricula; and (3) media initiative to convey accurate information about…

Reviews the literature on psychosocial correlates of contraceptive practices among sexually active late adolescents. Helps identify subgroups of adolescents who either do not use or misuse contraceptive means, putting them at risk for unwanted pregnancy, AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases. Promotes further research on those variables…

Analyzes an existing longitudinal survey of adolescent mothers (N=315). Data from Time 1 were used to predict victimization reported in the year between Time 1 and Time 2. Explores factors that increased the likelihood of reported sexual victimization at Time 2 and factors that reduce the risk of victimization. Investigates risk factors for…

Reviews literature on prevalence, mechanisms of fetal toxicity, effects of exposure, socioeconomic factors, and social-support programs to increase awareness of the effects of prenatal exposure to cocaine. Emphasizes the need for drug education and social-support programs for disadvantaged pregnant women to prevent and control cocaine use. (EMK)

Examines attitudes of 129 teenagers concerning teenage pregnancy and early sex. Results indicate that 73% of girls advocated joint responsibility for contraceptive protection compared with only 46% of boys. Significantly more boys than girls saw nothing wrong with casual sex and significantly less boys than girls upheld the virtue of commitment in…

Assessed several factors for parents and adolescents over a seven-year period. Found that adolescents' risk-taking behavior mediated the influence of parental warmth and adolescents' affiliations with deviant peers on involvement in pregnancy by grade 12, and that adolescents' academic achievement mediated the relationship between parental warmth…

The Teen Attitude Pregnancy Scale (TAPS) was developed to measure teen attitudes and intentions regarding teenage pregnancy. The model demonstrated good internal consistency and concurrent validity for the samples in this study. Analysis revealed evidence of validity for this model. (JDM)

Reports on study conducted to understand the consequences of adolescent pregnancy and childbearing on the family. Study reveals changes in attitudes of the mothers of pregnant teens could create prime context for younger siblings to engage in delinquent or sexual behavior. Suggests the whole family participate in an intervention treatment to…