Youth preferences for prenatal and parenting teen services

Abstract

Study objective: Parenting teens served by a teen-tot program and teens from a prenatal clinic participated in focus groups to explore their perceptions of medical care, social services, and psycho-educational parenting groups.

Design: The teens met in four focus groups, two prenatal and two postnatal.

Setting: Teens receiving care from a teen-tot program and associated prenatal clinic in a large metropolitan area in New England.

Participants: A total of 16 pregnant (n=6) and parenting (n=10) teens ages ranging from 16 to 21 years (13 African American, 2 Latina, and 1 Haitian) participated in the four focus groups.

Methods: A qualitative focus group study was performed. Structured, culturally sensitive questions guided the discussion based on a hypothetical case scenario. Themes were identified through grounded theory with three coders and differences were reconciled.

Results: The groups revealed prenatal and postnatal mothers valued medical and social services provided in a teen-focused hospital clinic. Prenatal teens looked to providers for health education services and group support. Parenting teens requested consistent doctors for their children and social supports for themselves. Both groups desired assistance with social services, education, housing, and finances as well as educational services for fathers.

Conclusions: Teen parents' perceptions and suggestions for services are critical to program development that meets the needs of participants.