Ever-pregnant and never-pregnant teens in a temporary housing shelter.
Adolescent pregnancy and childbearing are of national concern; documented sequelae are numerous and varied. The primary purpose of this cross-sectional study is to describe the differences in selected demographic, sociocultural, physiological, psychological, and cognitive variables among 136 ever-pregnant and never-pregnant teens residing in a temporary housing shelter. Teens who experienced a pregnancy had significantly higher chronological age, gynecological age, and school grade level in addition to reporting significantly greater histories of both rape and voluntary sexual activity than did never-pregnant teens. This study indicates that teen pregnancy is a major problem among adolescents in temporary housing shelters. Our findings provide guidance for clinical interventions and further research with this at-risk population.
Sheaff
L
L
College of Nursing (m/c 802), University of Illinois at Chicago 60612.
Talashek
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016294:Models, Nursing; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors