title: Comparison of adolescent, young adult, and adult women's maternity experiences and practices.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pregnant adolescents face unique challenges. Understanding the experiences, knowledge, and behaviors of adolescents during the pregnancy and postpartum periods may contribute to improvement of their maternity care. The purpose of this study was to compare the maternity experiences, knowledge, and behaviors of adolescent, young adult, and adult women by using a nationally representative sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study used data from the Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey (N = 6421). The weighted proportions of each variable were calculated by using survey sample weights. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios. Bootstrapping techniques were used to calculate variance estimates for prevalence and 95% confidence intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adolescents and young adults were more likely to experience physical abuse in the previous 2 years, initiate prenatal care late, not take folic acid before or during pregnancy, have poor prenatal health behaviors, have a lower cesarean delivery rate, have lower breastfeeding initiation and duration rates, experience more stressful life events, experience postpartum depression symptoms, and rate their infant's health as suboptimal than adult women. Adolescents were more likely to rate their own health as suboptimal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adolescents have unique needs during pregnancy and postpartum. Health care professionals should seek to provide care in a manner that acknowledges these needs.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Dawn.Kingston@ualberta.ca
authors.forename: Dawn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kingston
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heaman
authors.forename: Deshayne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fell
authors.forename: Beverley
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chalmers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002170:Canada; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008016:Life Change Events; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000523:psychology*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005492:Folic Acid