Harrison Megan E, Clarkin Chantalle, Worth Kerry, Norris Mark L, Rohde Kristina
Department of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Research Institute, 401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L1, Canada.
Matern Child Health J. 2016 Mar;20(3):684-92. doi: 10.1007/s10995-015-1868-x.
The media has long been established as influential in the formation of youth attitudes. It remains unknown, however, whether popular media depictions of teenage pregnancy and motherhood shape the meanings pregnant and parenting youth (PPY) construct. This study explored PPY's perceptions of media messages portraying PPY.
Five focus groups were conducted at three urban centres that service pregnant youth and young parents. Convenience sample of 26 participants was recruited across sites. Focus groups were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically.
Participants were a mean age of 18.7 years. Participants felt that the storylines in television reality programs featuring PPY were highly incongruent with their lived experiences and that these representations glamorized teenage pregnancy while failing to capture other realities, such as financial hardship. Further, it was felt that such representations informed public opinion and created a double standard for teen parents. Participants felt that healthcare providers were not immune to media messaging; some participants reported withdrawing socially and others delayed accessing health services because of what they perceived as negative media-fuelled public views.
This study highlights the need for heightened awareness of the influence of popular media on the portrayal of PPY. Acknowledging and challenging stereotypes of teen pregnancy, as well as initiating dialogue with youth about the impact media has on their lives should be encouraged as a means of facilitating ongoing engagement with health care services.
长期以来，媒体在塑造青少年态度方面的影响力已得到公认。然而，大众媒体对青少年怀孕和为人母的描绘是否会塑造怀孕及育儿青少年（PPY）所构建的意义，这一点尚不清楚。本研究探讨了PPY对描绘PPY的媒体信息的看法。
在为怀孕青少年和年轻父母提供服务的三个城市中心开展了五次焦点小组讨论。在各个地点招募了26名参与者的便利样本。焦点小组讨论进行了录音，逐字转录并进行了主题分析。
参与者的平均年龄为18.7岁。参与者认为，以PPY为主题的电视真人秀节目的故事情节与他们的生活经历极不相符，这些呈现美化了青少年怀孕，却未能捕捉到其他现实情况，比如经济困难。此外，人们认为此类呈现影响了公众舆论，并为青少年父母制造了双重标准。参与者觉得医疗保健提供者也无法免受媒体信息的影响；一些参与者报告说，由于他们认为媒体助长了负面的公众看法，所以在社交上选择退缩，还有一些人推迟了获得医疗服务的时间。
本研究强调需要提高对大众媒体对PPY描绘的影响的认识。应鼓励承认并挑战对青少年怀孕的刻板印象，以及就媒体对他们生活的影响与青少年展开对话，以此作为促进他们持续接受医疗服务的一种方式。
