Social support and help-seeking in adolescent pregnancy

Abstract

This study was a description of pregnant female adolescents' perception of social support and help-seeking during pregnancy, including how social support relates to entry into prenatal care, perceived barriers, and ease of getting help. Secondary data analysis was conducted on data from an original study that used a cross-sectional, descriptive design. Data were collected via a questionnaire, using the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire (NSSQ), demographic questions, and a help-seeking semi-structured interview. The sample consisted of 31 unmarried pregnant adolescents. Content analysis was used to quantify adolescents' perceptions of barriers and ease of getting help during pregnancy. There was a statistically significant relationship between perceived social support and perceived barriers to getting help, with subjects with high social support perceiving more barriers than the low social support group. There was no relationship between perceived social support and entry into prenatal care and perceived ease of getting help.