Adolescent Childbearing Factors As Determinant Of Safe Motherhood In Abeokuta
Adolescent Childbearing Factors As Determinant Of Safe Motherhood In Abeokuta Metropolis Of Ogun State Nigeria
Introduction
Adolescent parenthood often places the teen mother and her child at high risk for a variety of negative personal and social outcomes one of which is an increased risk for abusive parenting Schellenbach Whitman and Borkowski 1992. Adolescent mothers and their children are at a greater risk than children of adult mothers Bolton 2000.
Women under 20 years of age are more likely to experience maternal complication than women ages 20 and above Eure Lindsay and Graves 2002; Zabin and Kiragu 1998. Among 50 developing countries surveyed an average of 23 of adolescent women including both married and unmarried women have given birth or are pregnant. Adolescent childbearing is most common in subSaharan Africa at 25 of women ages 15 to 19. In the Central African Republic Chad Guinea Madagascar Mali and Niger over onethird of adolescent women are pregnant or have had a child Eure Lindsay and Graves 2002.
On average among 16 surveys in Latin America and the Caribbean 19 of all adolescent women have begun childbearing. The levels are highest in ElSalvador and Nicaragua at 25. In nine countries surveyed in Eastern Europe and Central Asia about 8 of adolescent women are mothers.
Most adolescents who are married or in a union have begun childbearing. In Latin America and the Caribbean on average 80 of married adolescents have begun childbearing and in subSaharan Africa 73. Among all developing countries surveyed South Africa has the lowest proportion of married adolescents who have begun bearing children at 50. Elsewhere the highest level of childbearing among unmarried women ages 15 to 19 is in Nicaragua at 10 Nigeria at 30 and Ghana at 29 Eure Lindsay and Graves 2002.
Predictors of higher incidence of adolescent childbearing among adolescent mothers have been examined in a variety of studies. Connelly and Strauss 1992 found that the mothers age when her first child was born was a significant predictor of the occurrence of adolescent mothers. This relationship held even when other variables such as income race education number of children and childs age were controlled. Bolton 2000 has pointed out that there are numerous contextual similarities between adolescent parents and adolescent mothers such as poverty social isolation and a poor understanding of child development which may collectively provide the foundations for the development of parenthood.
Both Belsky 1980 1993 and Azar 2001 agree that adolescent childbearing is almost always multiply determined with numerous factors interacting to contribute to the onset of abusive behaviour. Therefore a risk assessment that measures different areas of risk simultaneously may provide a more comprehensive picture of the characteristics associated with adolescent childbearing among adolescent mothers than do assessments that do not combine multiple components. In the present study four contextual risk factors social support maternal psychological adjustment maternal preparation for parenting and child temperament were examined in combination as predictors of adolescent childbearing in adolescent mothers.
Psychopathology or personality disturbances in one or both parents has frequently been implicated in the development of adolescent child bearing Azar 1991; Wupe 1987. Most importantly adolescent parents tend to have more psychological problems than adult mothers WurtzPassino et al 1993. Therefore reconceptualizing parental psychological risk for adolescent mothers in terms of psychological adjustment and obtaining a more general assessment of psychological functioning may be more useful than trying to predict behaviour based on the diagnosis of specific clinical disorders.
The importance of social support in the etiology of adolescent childbearing has also been identified Azar 2001; Belsky 1980 1993; Wolfe 1985 1987. Two common correlates of adolescent childbearing that reflect Belskys 1980 social support construct are the financial and emotional support available to the family. The socioeconomic status SES of adolescent mothers and adult mothers frequently differs Bolton 2000. Lower SES of adolescent families are more highly represented in poor parenting. This overrepresentation may be due in part to the increased financial stress within families and the decreased availability of familybased financial resources to deal with unexpected expenses related to child care. The emotional support provided by the parents peers family or spouse is also important in distinguishing adolescent mothers and adult mothers Bolton 2000; McKenny et al 1991; Wolfe 1987. Thus both SES and emotional support are important aspects of social support reflecting the instrumental and interpersonal components important to a broadbased assessment of this construct.
The third risk construct emphasizes the dysfunctional interaction patterns in adolescent childbearing. That is a lack of knowledge of child development unrealistic expectations and a limited repertoire of skills for interacting with the child are predictive of adolescent childbearing Belsky 1980; Bolton 2000; de Lissovoy 1973; McKenny et al 1991; Schellenbach et al 1992; Wolfe 1985. In this way a mothers understanding and general expectations about her role as a parent as well as her beliefs about how she is going to interact with her own child may be early indicators of insufficient preparation for parenting thus setting the stage for dysfunctional interaction with their children. This mental preparation for parenting termed cognitive readiness to parent by Borkowski and Colleagues 1992 was found to be lower for teen than for adult mothers. Therefore it is important to assess mothers preparation for parenting as a reflection of early predispositions towards dysfunctional parenting.
Using the ideas from Wolfes 1987 theory the two components of the psychological predisposition for aggression coping may mediate the relationship between the first four risk factors derived from Bolskys 1993 model that is social supports maternal psychological adjustment child temperament and preparation for parenting and the potential for adolescent childbearing. This mediational relationship may provide some understanding of the process through which maternal and early child factors increase the adolescent mothers susceptibility to childbearing behaviours.
Most research work on adolescent childbearing focused on the nature causes and prevalence. It is therefore not to the knowledge of the researcher that studies linking adolescent childbearing and safe motherhood may have been conducted in Nigeria. It is against this background that this study becomes relevant in filling such missing gaps in our knowledge in the issue of adolescent childbearing and motherhood in Nigeria.
Purpose of this Study
The purpose of this research is to examine the predictive relationships between the contextual risk factors as social supports maternal psychological adjustment maternal preparation for parenting and child temperament serve to justify safe motherhood.
In order to achieve the purpose of this research the following research questions were answered at 0.05 alpha level.
1. To what extent would adolescent childbearing attitudes as social support maternal psychological adjustment maternal preparation for parenting and child temperament when combined predict safe motherhood among adolescents of reproductive age in Abeokuta Metropolis of Ogun State Nigeria?
2. What is the relative contribution of each of the factors to the prediction of safe motherhood among the adolescents?
Methodology
Research Design
This study focused on adolescent childbearing factors as determinants of safe motherhood among adolescents of reproductive age in Abeokuta Metropolis of Ogun State Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was adopted in which questionnaire was employed in collecting data from the respondents on the variables involved in the study.
Participants
The target participants for the study is made up all the Predegree female students of University of Agriculture Abeokuta. A total of one thousand and two hundred 1200 female Predegree students were randomly drawn from the university Predegree female students to take part in the study. The range of participants age was between 16 years and 23 years with a mean age of 18.4 years and the standard deviation of 3.67.
Instrumentation
Two instruments were used in the study.
i Selfreporting Questionnaire on Adolescent Childbearing SQAC measures the social supports maternal psychological adjustment maternal preparation for parenting and child temperament. It has 25 items rated on a 4 point likert type scale. The respondents are to indicate their degree of agreement with each item by ticking Strongly Agreed 4; Agreed 3; Disagreed 2 and Strongly Disagreed 1. It has 0.64 and 0.69 as the internal consistency and revalidation reliability respectively.
ii Motherhood Inventory MI measures the characteristics and values attached to the institution of motherhood. It has 20 items response format anchored on Partly True to very Untrue. The testretest reliability of the inventory was found to be 0.66 and 0.71 respectively.
All the two instruments were authorconstructed and were considered valid through the favourable comments of experts in psychometrics on the suitability of the items.
Procedure for Data Collection
The participants for the study were administered two questionnaires with the assistance of two research assistants and the University Guidance Counsellor. The collected questionnaires were scored and the data obtained from them were analysed to answer the research questions. On the whole 1200 copies of the questionnaires were distributed and returned fully filled giving a return rate of 100.
Data Analysis
The data collected were analysed using multiple regression and chisquare X2 statistics to establish the relationship between adolescent childbearing and safe motherhood.
Results
Results got from the data analysis are presented in Tables 1 2 and 3.
Research Question 1:
To what extent would adolescent childbearing factors when combined predict safe motherhood?
Table 1: Regression Analysis on Sample Data using A Combination of Independent Variables to Predict Safe Motherhood.
Multiple R: 0.351
Multiple RSquare: 0.301
Standard Error: 3.37
Analysis of Variance
Sources of Variation
Df
SS
MS
FRatio
PValue
Regression
3
5278.832
1759
5.10
lt;0.05
Residual
1196
517249.688
432.483
Total
1199
522528.512
Table 1 shows that the combination of the independent variables social support maternal psychological adjustment maternal preparation for parenting and child temperament in predicting safe motherhood among the adolescents yielded a coefficient of multiple regression R of 0.351 multiple correlation square R2 of 0.301. The result shows that 30.1 of the variance in the prediction of safe motherhood is accounted for by the independent variables. The table also indicates that the analysis of variance of the multiple regression data gave an Fratio of 5.10 significant at 0.05 alpha level.
Research Question 2:
What is the relative contribution of each of the factors to the prediction of safe motherhood among the adolescents?
Table 2: Testing the Significance on Relative Contribution to the Prediction of Regression Weight of Independent Variables
S/N
Variables Description
Unstandardized Coefficients
Coefficients
Standardized
tvalue
Sig.
B
Std Error
Beta
1
Social support
0.110
0.033
0.205
3.3
lt;0.05
2
Maternal psychological adjustment
0.124
0.037
0.288
3.3
lt;0.05
3
Maternal preparation for parenting
2.330
0.469
0.075
4.959
lt;0.05
4
Child temperament
0.144
0.044
0.022
1.2
NS
5
Constant
35.121
3.915
000
Table 2 shows for each independent variable the standardized regression weight B the Standard Error Estimate SEB the Beta the Tratio and the level at which the Tratio and the level at which the Tratio is significant. As indicated in the table the Tratio associated with the four variables social support maternal psychological adjustment and maternal preparation for parenting were significant at 0.05 alpha level. The contribution of child temperament can escalate threat and violence to the prediction of safe motherhood among adolescents of reproductive age. The degree of contribution of each of the variables in order of merit are: maternal preparation for parenting B=2.330; t=4.959; plt;0.05; social supports B = 0.110; t = 3.3; Plt;0.05; maternal psychological adjustment B = 0.124; t = 3.3; plt;0.05; and child temperament B = 0.144; t = 1.2; pgt;0.05.
Table 3: X2 Summary on Adolescent Childbearing Factors and Safe Motherhood.
Variable Description
X2 Cal
Df
X2 tab
Sig 2 tailed
1
Social support
16.986
3
7.81
0.001
2
Maternal psychological adjustment
29.762
3
7.01
0.000
3
Maternal preparation for parenting
33.956
3
7.81
0.000
4
Child temperament
5.969
3
7.81
0.113
* Significant at 0.05 alpha level
The result on table 3 shows that each of the independent variables made significant contribution to the prediction on safe motherhood at 0.05 alpha level. This implies that there is a strong relationship between those factors and safe motherhood. The contributions of each of the variables shows that maternal preparation for parenting X2 = 33. 956 has the most potent variable followed by maternal psychological adjustment X2 = 29.762; social supports X2 = 16.986; and child temperament X2 = 5.969 in that order.
Discussion of Findings
The major goal of this study was to find out the influence of adolescent childbearing factors as determinants of safe motherhood.
It is on the above premise that the findings of the present investigation is reported. The result on Table 1 showed that adolescent childbearing factors either collectively or relatively predict safe motherhood. The joint combination of the four variables when taken together and regressed against safe motherhood account for 30.1 of the variance Rsquare = 0.201. This is statistically significant as corroborated by the analysis of variance result of 5.10. This result agree with the findings reported by Bolton 2000; Eure Lindsay and Graves 2002; Belsky 1980 1993 and Azar 2001. This agreement was also supported by Wolfe 1987 and Belksky 1980.
Maternal preparation for parenting was shown to significantly relate to safe motherhood. This result agrees with Borkowski and colleagues 1992. The result obtained in the study also showed that social support was a significant contributor to the prediction of safe motherhood. This finding supports the report of Bolton 2000; Azar 2001; Belsky 1980 1993 and Wolfe 1985 1987. Maternal psychological adjustment was considered significant in this study. This finding supports the work of Wolfe 1987 and Belsky 1980. Child temperament was not found to significantly predict safe motherhood. This result was however at variance from the work of Belsky 1980 and Wolfe 1987.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Adolescent childbearing in any society of the world has been viewed as a social and health problem that requires urgent attention of wellmeaning citizens. It is on this premise that the following recommendations are provided:
i The government of Nigeria should as a matter of urgency adopt a National Adolescent Reproductive Health Policy.
ii Youth centres be opened to provide information on family planning reproductive and sexual health and STIs and their treatment.
References
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Connelly C.O. and Strauss M.A. 1992. Mothers age and risk for physical abuse. Child Abuse and Neglect 16 709718.
de Lissovey V. 1973. Child care by adolescent parents. Children Today 2 2225.
Eure C.N. Lindsay M.K. and Graves W.L. 2002. Risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in young adolescent in an inner city hospital. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 1865: 918920.
McKenny P.C. Kotch J.B. and Broune D.H. 1991. Correlates of dysfunctional parenting attitudes among low income adolescent mothers. Journal of Adolescent Research 6 212234.
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About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;OLADEJI DAVID Ph.D.
DEPARTMENT OF HOME AND HOTEL MANAGEMENT
CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND FAMILY STUDIES UNIT
OLABISI ONABANJO UNIVERSITY
AGOIWOYE.
dijidejiyahoo.co.uk
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