Psychosocial aspects of Mexican-American, white, and black teenage pregnancy

This study assesses whether pregnant Mexican-American adolescents have psychosocial characteristics different from their pregnant white or black peers. The study population consisted of 199 consecutive Mexican-American, white, and black pregnant adolescents, ages 11–19 years, followed prospectiveely at the University of California San Diego Medical Center Teen Obstetric Clinic from 1978 to 1981 (79 whites, 76 Mexican-Americans, and 44 blacks). Although all three groups had the same chronologic age ( X ̄ = 16.4 ± 1.4 years ), and the same number of years of schooling, pregnant black adolescents were more likely to be in school at the time of registration for prenatal care ( p < 0.01). Mexican-American teens were more likely to be married at conception and/or delivery ( p < 0.001), and to breastfeed their infants ( p < 0.05). The fathers of the Mexican-American babies were more likely than other fathers to be full-time students or employed ( p < 0.001). Although pregnant Mexican-American teens came from the largest families ( p < 0.001), black teenagers most frequently reported a good mother-daughter relationship ( p < 0.05). White pregnant teens most frequently reported a family history of psychiatric illness ( p < 0.01), parental death ( p < 0.05), or runaway behavior ( p < 0.01). These data suggest that pregnant teenagers from these three racial/ethnic backgrounds have different psychosocial profiles and hence different psychosocial problems and needs.