Brief report: A socio-demographic profile of multiparous teenage mothers.
OBJECTIVE
Delineate a socio-demographic profile of multiparous teenage mothers at a public hospital in Brazil.


METHODS
This is a cross-sectional study consisting of 915 interviews with teenage girls, including 170 multiparous subjects whose babies were born alive.


RESULTS
The multiparous teenage mothers had the following average characteristics: 17.8 years old; first pregnancy at 16 years; beginning of sexual life at 14.2 years; dropped out of school at 13.6 years; attended school for 6 years with only 10% still attending school when they were interviewed; 87.4% had prenatal exams; monthly income was reported to be 0.3% less than the national minimum salary.


CONCLUSIONS
Teenage mothers are in need of better social, educational, and health care in order to have a greater chance of a positive motherhood experience, thereby creating a better, healthier environment for their children.
de Fátima Rato Padin
Maria
M
Department of Psychiatry, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. fatimaratopadin@yahoo.com.br
de Souza e Silva
Rebeca
R
Chalem
Elisa
E
Mitsuhiro
Sandro Sendin
SS
Barros
Marina Moraes
MM
Guinsburg
Ruth
R
Laranjeira
Ronaldo
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011203:Poverty; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013332:Student Dropouts / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires