SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTEXT OF HISPANIC ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY

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This five-year project will investigate the social, cultural, and behavioral antecedents of adolescent sexual behavior, pregnancy, childbearing, and parenting among low income Hispanic (primarily Mexican and Central American) adolescents age 17 and under in East Los Angeles. Years 1-2 will utilize ethnographic and qualitative methods to explore transitional events among 50 adolescent mothers, their partners, and 50 non-mother, sister/cousin "controls". Past research suggests that a young woman's partner has a significant influence on reproductive behavior although very little is known about his role. The inclusion of the non- mother female relative "control" will allow comparison of the life course and attitudes of teen mothers and young women who are from the same cultural and familial environment but are not yet mothers themselves. Years 3-4 will implement a survey of 1000 teen mothers developed to test the generalizability of findings from the qualitative phase. Differences in the patterning of life events among younger (12-15) and older (16-17) teens, teens from different countries of origin, and teens of different acculturation levels will be explored. Year 5 will be devoted to analysis and dissemination of research results. This study responds to the need for contextualized data on adolescent childbearing and was designed to address the gap between our quantitative understanding of variables associated with adolescent childbearing and our qualitative understanding of how these factors operate to influence individual decisions about sexual intimacy, union formation, contraceptive use, pregnancy resolution decisions, and life course. The results will have practical value in the design of a wide variety of prevention and intervention programs addressing health problems related to early sexual behavior, pregnancy, and childbearing.