Alpers R R
Arizona State University, College of Nursing, Tempe 85287-2602, USA.
J Prof Nurs. 1998 Mar-Apr;14(2):111-8. doi: 10.1016/s8755-7223(98)80039-2.
Self-concept has been recognized and researched as a powerful variable in relation to teenage pregnancy. Low self-concept frequently has been identified as a cause and consequence of teenage pregnancy as well as a factor in participation and compliance with health care recommendations. Most of the research on self-concept and teenage pregnancy occurred in the 1970s to mid-1980s, and all found lower self-concept in pregnant and parenting teens when compared with their nonpregnant contemporaries and normative data. This study found the opposite to be true. The 126 pregnant and parenting teens in this study had higher self-concepts than the reported normative group. Also, important variations in self-concept were found in relation to sociodemographics. This potentially suggests that what was once known about this aggregate is no longer true, and a reinvestigation is warranted. The purpose of this study was to reinvestigate the self-concept of pregnant and parenting teens and compare them with published normative data and to examine the relationship between sociodemographics and self-concept. The study employed a survey methodology. Data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, measures of central tendency and dispersion, t test, chi-square test, and analysis of variance. This study found that pregnant and parenting teens had a higher self-concept than the normative data on nonpregnant teens reported by the research instrument authors. Furthermore, this older sample of pregnant and parenting teens (mean age, 17.83 years) had self-concepts more similar to the junior high school normative sample than their senior high school-age contemporaries. Also, this study found that self-concept varies according to the pregnant and parenting teens; ages, years of schooling, types of schools attended, income sources, and receipt of public assistance. This study has implications for health care providers, health and public educators, and nursing researchers in terms of program development and evaluation, health marketing, and development of primary prevention strategies.
自我概念已被视作与青少年怀孕相关的一个重要变量并得到研究。低自我概念常被认定为青少年怀孕的一个成因与后果，也是参与并遵循医疗保健建议的一个因素。大多数关于自我概念与青少年怀孕的研究发生在20世纪70年代至80年代中期，所有研究都发现，与未怀孕的同龄人及标准数据相比，怀孕及育有子女的青少年自我概念较低。而本研究的结果却相反。本研究中的126名怀孕及育有子女的青少年自我概念高于所报告的标准组。此外，研究还发现自我概念在社会人口统计学方面存在重要差异。这可能表明，曾经关于这一总体情况的认知已不再正确，有必要重新进行调查。本研究的目的是重新调查怀孕及育有子女的青少年的自我概念，并将他们与已发表的标准数据进行比较，同时研究社会人口统计学与自我概念之间的关系。该研究采用了调查方法。数据通过频率、百分比、集中趋势和离散度测量、t检验、卡方检验以及方差分析进行分析。本研究发现，怀孕及育有子女的青少年的自我概念高于研究工具作者所报告的未怀孕青少年的标准数据。此外，这个年龄较大的怀孕及育有子女的青少年样本（平均年龄17.83岁）的自我概念与初中标准样本更为相似，而非与他们高中年龄的同龄人相似。而且，本研究发现，自我概念会因怀孕及育有子女的青少年的年龄、受教育年限、就读学校类型、收入来源以及是否接受公共援助而有所不同。本研究在项目开发与评估、健康营销以及初级预防策略制定方面，对医疗保健提供者、健康与公共教育工作者以及护理研究人员具有启示意义。
