Citation

Curry MA, Doyle BA, Gilhooley J. MCN Am. J. Matern. Child Nurs. 1998; 23(3): 144-150.

Affiliation

Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland 97201-3098, USA. currym@ohsu.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9595911

Abstract

72 pregnant female adolescents aged 13-15 years, 166 aged 16-17, and 341 aged 18-19 attending prenatal clinics in the greater metropolitan area of a northwestern city participated in a study to assess the incidence of abuse, including physical and sexual abuse, in that subpopulation and to determine whether such abuse is related to pregnancy planning, high school participation, substance use during pregnancy, pregnancy complications, and infant birth weight. 52% of the subjects were White, 30% were Black, 4% Native American, 4% Hispanic, 3% Asian, and 6% other. They had completed an average of 10.7 years of education, although 47% had dropped out of high school. 8.6% were married and living with their partner, 28% reported being single and cohabiting with a partner, and this was the first pregnancy for 57%. Abuse was measured using the Abuse Assessment Screen, substance abuse was measured by self-report, and birth weights were obtained from hospital records. More than 37% reported abuse, with the middle adolescents reporting the highest incidence and the oldest adolescents the least. In every age group, the incidence of low birth weight was higher among subjects who had been abused, although that difference was not statistically significant. Compared to nonabused subjects, those abused were significantly more likely to be high school dropouts, to smoke, and to have experienced bleeding during the second trimester. No differences were observed between the abused and nonabused subjects in pregnancy planning and reported use of marijuana, alcohol, or other drugs.

Language: en