Interaction with health professionals and change in Canadian adolescents' social support perceptions from the prenatal to the postnatal period

Abstract

For pregnant adolescents, the availability of support from others may be important to how they simultaneously navigate the challenges presented by adolescent psychosocial development and the transition to motherhood. This support from others is generally encompassed under the construct of social support. The purpose of this cross-sectional, exploratory study was to determine if Canadian adolescents perceive adequate social support to be available in the prenatal and postpartum periods and whether or not select contact with health professionals influences perceived availability of social support over time. Specifically, the effects of adolescents’’ timing of initiation of prenatal care, prenatal class attendance, postpartum contact with a healthcare provider, and timing of postnatal contact with a healthcare provider were explored. Using data collected from the Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey (CMES), the sample consisted of 297 Canadian adolescent mothers, weighted to represent 2.262. Results indicated that the majority of Canadian adolescents perceived adequate social support to be available both in the prenatal and postpartum period, however, perceptions of availability of support changed for some participants from the prenatal to the postpartum period. Bivariate logistic regression analyses found that adolescents reporting postpartum contact with a healthcare provider were 5.23 times more likely to perceive a decrease in social support perceptions between the prenatal and postnatal period [OR = 5.23, 95% CI (1.6, 17.14), p = .006], while other variables explored showed little or no effect. Implications of these results for nursing practice, education, and research are discussed.