THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF PREPARED CHILDBIRTH ON SELF-ESTEEM, ACTIVE PARTICIPATION DURING CHILDBIRTH, AND CHILDBIRTH SATISFACTION OF SINGLE ADOLESCENT MOTHERS.
Contributors: University of Texas at Austin.
Published: 1984
Number of pages: 153
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purpose of this study was to determine the psychological effects of prepared childbirth, specifically the Lamaze Method, on self-esteem, active participation during childbirth, and childbirth satisfaction of single adolescent mothers. It was hypothesized that adolescents who attended prepared childbirth classes would indicate a greater increase in desire to participate during childbirth; and would have higher postnatal self-esteem, greater perceived active participation during childbirth, and a more positive perception of the childbirth experience than adolescents who did not attend prepared childbirth classes.

Forty-nine single adolescents were randomly assigned to either an experimental or control group. Twenty-six adolescents (16 in the experimental group and 10 in the control group) completed the study. Subjects completed a questionnaire battery at seven months and nine months of pregnancy, and at one month after childbirth. The battery included the following instruments prenatally: the Rosenberg Global Self-Esteem Scale, and the Prenatal Attitude Towards Childbirth Participation Scale. Postnatally, the battery included: the Rosenberg Global Self-Esteem Scale, the Labor Agency Scale, the Delivery Agency Scale, and the Labor/Delivery Evaluation Scale. Subjects in the experimental group attended at least five sessions of a prepared childbirth course.

None of the hypotheses concerning differences between the study groups were supported. The major findings of post hoc analyses of data indicated: (1) adolescents viewed the childbirth experience differently than adults possibly because of values, psychological development, and cognitive development; and (2) a discrepancy between adolescents' perceptions (self-report via attitude scales) and actual descriptions of active participation during childbirth (self-report via interviews). Thus, lack of support for the hypotheses may be attributed to adolescents' developmental stage and their inability to evaluate their role in the childbirth experience using attitudinal outcome measures. A model for prepared childbirth classes for adolescents is proposed.

The effectiveness of prepared childbirth classes for adolescents is left undetermined. However, the need to adapt the goals and structure of prepared childbirth classes to adolescents' developmental status is evident. Recommendations include: (1) further study of the effectiveness of prepared childbirth classes for adolescents; (2) development and testing of alternative models for prepared childbirth classes for adolescents; and (3) further development of a theory of the adolescent childbirth experience.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-07, Section: B, page: 2105.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, 1984.

School code: 0227.