COPING AND PSYCHOSOCIAL ADAPTATION OF PREGNANT TEENAGERS IN MALAWI.
Contributors: University Of Illinois At Chicago, Health Sciences Center.
Published: 1996
Number of pages: 263
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Sociology, Individual and Family Studies.; Psychology, Social.
Description: This study investigated factors influencing coping and psychosocial adaptation to pregnancy in first time pregnant teenagers in Malawi using a conceptual model based on coping theory and research outside Malawi. Structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 270 low income pregnant teens attending 12 prenatal clinics and representing four ethnic groups and rural and urban settings. Instruments included the Jalowiec Coping Scale, Ways of Coping Checklist, Zung Depression Index and new items developed from focus group data. Twenty in-depth interviews with a purposive sub sample provided contextual validity of coping.

All the pregnant teens had low education, two-thirds were 18-19 years old, and most were married shortly before or during pregnancy. They had high rates of depression and stress. Their stress was due to poverty, gender oppression, limited future educational or economic opportunities, few personally controlled resources, age restrictions in acquisition of relevant information and a lack of knowledge about pregnancy. This stress affected their perceptions, coping and adaptation to pregnancy. The teens less than 18 exhibited more emotional problems with pregnancy and had limited opportunity of returning to school with potential losses in future opportunities.

The proposed general model of coping was applicable to Malawi but in a different context. Coping had a social and psychological dimension. Teens used self-consoling, emotive, active coping and resignation to cope with pregnancy, however, their coping efforts were characterized by a lack of mature problem-solving skills. Their coping strategies reflected the specific cultural meanings and values for the coping strategies in Malawi, implying that developing coping strategies requires consideration of individual predispositions and the social context, particularly the culturally approved coping responses.

The problems teens experienced document the need to examine and restructure services for pregnant teens in Malawi. Nurse-midwives are crucial to teens' coping and adaptation to pregnancy and their role regards the care of pregnant teens needs to be reviewed and expanded. Government, traditional institutions and non-government institutions need to examine priorities and resources for promoting health in pregnant and non pregnant teens, preventing early marriages and pregnancies ensuring education for teens and encouraging early child bearers to complete education.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 57-11, Section: B, page: 6851.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO, HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER, 1996.

School code: 0806.