Social Support During Adolescent Pregnancy: Piecing Together a Quilt

To investigate pregnant adolescents’ experiences of receiving support, including variations by age. The study was guided by feminist theory. An alternative, public school for pregnant and parenting adolescents in an urban area of the Southern United States. Participants (n = 30) consisted of 6 early (13–14), 19 middle (15–16), and 5 late (17–18) adolescents. Nineteen of the participants were African American, 10 European American, and 1 Asian American. A qualitative research design based on feminist theory with data collected through focus groups. The focus groups were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim, and checked against the first author’s field notes, then analyzed using principles of analytic induction. Group interaction and influence were considered. The metaphor of a patchwork quilt emerged from the data and represented how adolescents “piece together” the support they need from adults, peers, and partners who are often unreliable. Affecting receipt of social support were the adolescents’ relationships with their families and their babies’ fathers, threats to their safety, and their socioeconomic status. These findings can be used by nurses, educators, and community leaders as they develop programs to meet the needs of these young women.