Adolescent mothers' beliefs about parenting and injury prevention: results of a focus group.

INTRODUCTION

A nonfatal injury occurs every 2 seconds in the United States, and approximately 30,000 children die each year from injury-related causes. The U.S. Department of Health identified the reduction of unintentional injuries as a major health goal. The current study reports on a focus group discussion conducted with adolescent mothers to examine their beliefs and practices regarding injury prevention.

METHOD

Seventeen first-time adolescent mothers participated in the focus group. Participants responded to questions about important aspects of mothering, causes of injury, and strategies to prevent injuries. Responses were categorized.

RESULTS

No mother spontaneously identified injury prevention as an important part of mothering. More than half of all participants believed that injuries are unpreventable. Further, mothers identified a limited number of strategies to prevent injury. None of the mothers reported having discussed injury prevention with their child's pediatrician.

DISCUSSION

Implications for care are discussed, including the need to address issues of injury prevention during well-baby care, the potential benefits of home visits, and specific challenges in implementing The Injury Prevention Program with young mothers.