Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jul;17 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):e13159.
doi: 10.1111/mcn.13159.

Family influences on health and nutrition practices of pregnant adolescents in Bangladesh

Vanessa Pike  1 , Abigail Kaplan Ramage  2 , Anjali Bhardwaj  3 , Jennifer Busch-Hallen  1 , Marion Leslie Roche  1
Affiliations

Family influences on health and nutrition practices of pregnant adolescents in Bangladesh

Vanessa Pike et al. Matern Child Nutr. 2021 Jul.

Abstract

Adolescent pregnancy can result in serious risks to the mother and her baby; yet, adolescents are among the least likely to access healthcare. Specific nutrition or antenatal care (ANC) guidelines for supporting pregnant adolescents are not available. To understand experiences and decision-making of pregnant adolescents in Bangladesh related to ANC and nutrition practices, peer interviewers were trained to conduct qualitative interviews in Dhaka and Rangpur with pregnant adolescents (n = 48), adolescent mothers (n = 48), adolescents' family members (n = 64) and health service providers (n = 32). Key themes explored included perception and support of adolescent pregnancy, experiences in seeking ANC, dietary practices, sources of information and roles of male and female family members. Spheres of influence on adolescent pregnancy were identified through analytical framework informed by the socio-ecological model. Respondents felt that adolescent pregnancy is risky and that adolescents require support and guidance through this experience. Families were highly influential on the care seeking, health and nutrition of pregnant adolescents, and mothers/mothers-in-law primarily took on the decision-making roles, with husbands actively participating. Adolescents valued family support but felt a loss of autonomy and agency upon becoming pregnant. Financial constraints were the greatest perceived barrier to appropriate nutrition and healthcare; yet, both were valued. There is sometimes discord of health and nutrition beliefs between families and health service providers; more research is needed to understand this further. It is essential to engage family members and adolescents in initiatives to increase access to quality ANC for pregnant adolescents, improve dietary practices and support the ability to delay pregnancy.

Keywords: adolescent nutrition; adolescent pregnancy; cultural context; family influences; maternal nutrition; qualitative methods.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

    1. Alam, N. , Roy, S. K. , Ahmed, T. , & Ahmed, A. M. (2010). Nutritional status, dietary intake, and relevant knowledge of adolescent girls in rural Bangladesh. Journal of Population, Health and Nutrition, 28, 86–94. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Anthrologica & World Food Programme . (2018). Bridging the Gap: Engaging Adolescents for Nutrition, Health, and Sustainable Development. Available at: https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP‐0000071272/download/?_ga=2.137694...
    1. Aubel, J. (2012). The role and influence of grandmothers on child nutrition: Culturally designated advisors and caregivers. Maternal & Child Nutrition, 8(1), 19–35. 10.1111/j.1740-8709.2011.00333.x - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Aubel, J. , & Rychtarik, A. (2015). Focus on families and culture: A guide for conducting a participatory assessment on maternal and child nutrition. The Grandmother Project, TOPS, USAID.
    1. Bica, O. C. , & Giugliani, E. R. (2014). Influence of counseling sessions on the prevalence of breastfeeding in the first year of life: A randomized clinical trial with adolescent mothers and grandmothers. Birth, 41(1), 39–45. 10.1111/birt.12097 - DOI - PubMed

Publication types