title: "Going beyond the call of doula": a grounded theory analysis of the diverse roles community-based doulas play in the lives of pregnant and parenting adolescent mothers.
abstract: This article presents some of the most salient qualitative results from a larger program evaluation of pregnant and parenting adolescents who participated in a community-based doula program. Using grounded theory analysis, seven problem-solving strategies emerged that doulas apply in helping pregnant and parenting adolescents navigate multiple social and health settings that often serve as barriers to positive maternal- and child-health outcomes. The ethnographic findings of this study suggest that the doulas provide valuable assistance to pregnant and parenting adolescents by addressing social-psychological issues and socio-economic disparities. "Diverse role-taking" results in doulas helping pregnant adolescents navigate more successfully through fragmented social and health service systems that are less supportive of low-income adolescents, who are often perceived to be draining scarce resources. The findings have implications for the roles of community-based doulas assigned to low-income adolescents of color seeking to overcome obstacles and attain better educational and economic opportunities.
authors: QUINN M. GENTRY is a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health's Urban Health Institute and serves as a program evaluator for Messages of Empowerment Productions, LLC. KIM M. NOLTE is the vice-president of training and programs for The Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, Inc. AINKA GONZALEZ is an evaluation coordinator for Messages of Empowerment Productions, LLC. MAGAN PEARSON is an evaluation coordinator for Messages of Empowerment Productions, LLC. SYMEON IVEY is an assistant data manager for Messages of Empowerment Productions, LLC.
authors: Quinn M
authors: QM
authors: Gentry
authors: Kim M
authors: KM
authors: Nolte
authors: Ainka
authors: A
authors: Gonzalez
authors: Magan
authors: M
authors: Pearson
authors: Symeon
authors: S
authors: Ivey