Reed Elizabeth, Salazar Marissa, Behar Alma I, Servin Argentina E, Ayala Guadalupe X, Silverman Jay G, Rusch Melanie L A, Zuniga Mari L, Raj Anita
School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA.
Center on Gender Equity and Health, Division of Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
Adolescents. 2022 Mar;2(1):101-112. doi: 10.3390/adolescents2010010. Epub 2022 Mar 2.
In the U.S., research to identify the risk factors explaining high rates of adolescent pregnancy disproportionately affecting racial/ethnic minorities, including Latinas, have largely focused on social and cultural factors that influence girls' pregnancy intentions and decisions regarding the use of contraception, as well as girls' sexual and reproductive decision-making control in relationships. However, economic factors may play a role in increasing girls' risk for adolescent pregnancy as well. Disproportionately high rates of adolescent pregnancy occur in areas of concentrated poverty, with higher rates among ethnic minorities. This qualitative study used a descriptive, exploratory design with a content analysis approach (1) to describe economic vulnerability in girls' lives and (2) to identify potential ways in which economic vulnerability may influence risk factors for adolescent pregnancy among adolescent females at high risk for pregnancy recruited from a health clinic by the U.S.-Mexico border in California.
Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted among 21 girls reporting risk factors for pregnancy (including a previous pregnancy, experiences of dating violence, or having ever been diagnosed with an STI) and who were seeking sexual/reproductive health services at a clinic near the U.S.-Mexico border in California. Participants were asked about their family life, economic stressors, characteristics of intimate partner relationships, and future education/career aspirations. Interviews were analyzed using content analysis to identify common themes related to economic vulnerability and risk for pregnancy.
Female participants were 17 years of age on average, most (72%) were Latina, and over half (60%) were in a relationship. Participants reported a high level of economic vulnerability at home, which they felt compromised their welfare, negatively affected expectations for future educational goals, and promoted financial dependence for basic needs (e.g., food) on male partners. The latter often compromised girls' decision-making control with relationship partners over contraceptive use and pregnancy timing.
Study findings suggest that economic vulnerability: (a) supports economic reliance on male partners, with implications for male partner control over pregnancy decisions and (b) hinders girls' expectations for future educational opportunities, which may reduce girls' prioritization to delay pregnancy.
在美国，旨在确定导致青少年怀孕率居高不下且对包括拉丁裔在内的少数族裔产生不成比例影响的风险因素的研究，主要集中在影响女孩怀孕意愿、避孕措施使用决策的社会和文化因素，以及女孩在恋爱关系中的性与生殖决策控制权。然而，经济因素在增加女孩青少年怀孕风险方面可能也发挥着作用。青少年怀孕率过高的情况在贫困集中地区出现，少数族裔中的发生率更高。这项定性研究采用了具有内容分析方法的描述性、探索性设计，（1）描述女孩生活中的经济脆弱性，（2）确定经济脆弱性可能影响从加利福尼亚州美墨边境一家健康诊所招募的怀孕高风险青少年女性的青少年怀孕风险因素的潜在方式。
对21名报告有怀孕风险因素（包括既往怀孕、约会暴力经历或曾被诊断患有性传播感染）且正在加利福尼亚州美墨边境附近一家诊所寻求性/生殖健康服务的女孩进行了定性深入访谈。参与者被问及她们的家庭生活、经济压力源、亲密伴侣关系特征以及未来的教育/职业抱负。使用内容分析对访谈进行分析，以确定与经济脆弱性和怀孕风险相关的共同主题。
女性参与者平均年龄为17岁，大多数（72%）是拉丁裔，超过一半（60%）处于恋爱关系中。参与者报告称在家中经济脆弱性程度很高，她们认为这损害了自己的福利，对未来教育目标的期望产生了负面影响，并促使她们在基本需求（如食物）方面依赖男性伴侣。后者往往损害了女孩在与伴侣关于避孕措施使用和怀孕时机的决策控制权。
研究结果表明，经济脆弱性：（a）支持对男性伴侣的经济依赖，这对男性伴侣对怀孕决策的控制有影响；（b）阻碍女孩对未来教育机会的期望，这可能会降低女孩推迟怀孕的优先级。
