Parental support influencing the timing of repeat pregnancy for adolescent mothers

Objective This study examined the relationship between parental support and the timing of adolescent mothers' repeat pregnancies. Background Short interpregnancy timing during adolescence, or an early repeat pregnancy, is a concerning outcome for adolescent mothers because they exacerbate the previous and ongoing adversities of adolescent mothers. Although social support tends to be positive for parenting and well‐being, it is unclear whether social support is protective for when adolescent mothers experience a repeat pregnancy. Parents are the primary source of support for adolescent mothers; thus, it is important to examine their influence on adolescent mothers' experience(s) of repeat pregnancy. Methods Semi‐Markov multistate models were applied to 20 years of data to examine the relationship between support and timing and risk of subsequent pregnancies for 471 adolescent mothers in the National Longitudinal Study of Youth 1997. Results This study found that emotional and financial support from parents predicts a higher likelihood of delayed repeat pregnancies, whereas informational support from parents predicts earlier repeat pregnancies for adolescent mothers. Conclusion The effects of parental support are multifaceted and appear to differentially influence when adolescent mothers experience repeat pregnancies. Implications Understanding how parental support influences when adolescent mothers experience repeat pregnancy can inform programs that aim to strengthen family support for pregnant and parenting youth.