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. 2020 Feb:79:208-220.
doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2020.01.008. Epub 2020 Jan 24.

Sex and substance use behaviors among children of teen mothers: A systematic review

Julie A Cederbaum  1 , Chung H Jeong  2 , Chaoyue Yuan  3 , Jungeun Olivia Lee  4
Affiliations

Sex and substance use behaviors among children of teen mothers: A systematic review

Julie A Cederbaum et al. J Adolesc. 2020 Feb.

Abstract

Introduction: Adolescent birth is a known correlate of many challenging behavioral health consequences for offspring. This systematic review seeks to understanding the sex and substance use behaviors of children born to teen mothers extending the body of literature on the long-term outcomes of being born to a teen mother.

Methods: A systematic approach, in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, was used to review and identify eligible studies in the following electronic databases: Web of Science, ProQuest, PubMed, and Ovid MEDLINE. Study inclusion: (a) maternal age (>20) was the key predictor or group variable and (b) children's risky sexual or substance use behaviors were outcome variables. All articles meeting inclusion criteria were next screened using the quality assessment tool created by the Effective Public Health Practice Project.

Results: Seventeen articles reporting on risky sexual behaviors and 12 articles on substance use behaviors met inclusion criteria. We found a consistent association between being born to a teen mother and risky sexual behaviors, including early sexual debut and transitioning into motherhood during adolescence/young adulthood. The link between being born to a teen mother and substance use behaviors was inconsistent and only found in large population-based studies.

Conclusion: Teen mothers and their children have unique individual, family, and structural needs. Evidence highlights that while there is no clear need to adapt substance use prevention interventions for these children, investing in targeted adaptations of abstinence and safer sex interventions to meet the unique experiences of children of teen mothers and their children is warranted.

Keywords: Children of teen mothers; Review; Sexual health; Substance use; Teen mothers.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest No author of this manuscript has conflicts of interest to disclose. All authors participated in the data collection or analysis. The first draft of this manuscript was written by J. Cederbaum. No payment was received for the production of this manuscript. All authors have read and provided feedback; all authors consent to the submission to JOA.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Flow diagram of study selection
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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