Nursing Students Attitude Towards Teenage Pregnancy

Abstract

BACKGROUNDTeenage pregnancy is a multifaceted problem which is influenced by numerous issues including individual, family, and community characteristics. Its consequences affect the health, social and economic wellbeing of the teenagers and their children. The attitudes and behaviors of maternal healthcare providers were an essential component of quality as they impacted both positively and negatively on how the clients, their partners, and families observed and experienced maternal healthcare. This study was conducted to determine the general attitudes of student nurses towards teenage pregnancy and also to determine whether socio-demographic characteristics of the student nurses affected their attitude towards teenage pregnancy.METHODA quantitative descriptive, cross-sectional study was done in 2018. A total of 87 randomly selected fourth year student nurses completed a self-administered questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). The study was approved by our local ethical boards and all ethical considerations were adhered to.RESULTSThe results of the study revealed that majority of the participants (93.1%) were single and attended church (90.8%). The majority of the sample was female (96.6%) between the ages 18–24 years old. The respondents' attitudes towards teen mothers were not affected by their relationship status, their age or gender or church attendance The results further revealed that the nursing students' had a moderately positive attitude towards teenage pregnancy. The only sociodemographic variable that affected attitude was the respondents having a teen mother in the family. The respondents with a teen mother in the family accounted for 29.9%.CONCLUSIONThis study adds to the body of knowledge on the attitudes of nursing students towards teenage pregnancy. The findings support the nursing curriculum that accentuates patient-centered care, reduce bias, and promotes professional values in Jamaica in order to deliver care to this vulnerable group.