Peer and neighbourhood influences on teenage pregnancy and fertility: qualitative findings from research in English communities.
Geographic variation in teenage pregnancy is attributable to social and cultural, as well as demographic, factors. In some communities and social networks early childbearing may be acceptable, or even normative. It is these places that are the focus of policy initiatives. This paper reports the findings of a qualitative study of neighbourhood and peer influences on the transition from pregnancy to fertility among 15 young mothers in three English locations. Data were also collected from nine local health workers. The findings show that, from the mothers' perspective, there was no evidence that peers influenced behaviour. However, the data did suggest that early childbearing might be normative in some communities.
Arai
Lisa
L
Child Health Research and Policy Unit, City University, London, UK. l.arai@city.ac.uk
D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D001723:Birth Rate; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D010379:Peer Group; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000145:classification*; D012923:Social Class; D012925:Social Conformity; D012945:Social Values / Q000208:ethnology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors