Parenting competence, social support, and self-esteem in teen mothers case managed by public health nurses.

The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine whether self-esteem, parenting competence, and social support for teenage mothers changed over the first 18 months of parenting when case managed by a public health nurse (PHN). A sample of 56 first-time teen mothers from a health department parenting project agreed to participate in the study. PHN case managers collected data close to the birth of the infants and at 6, 12, and 18 months. Demographic findings of teen mothers showed that the majority were below expected grade level, over half lived with parents, and over half were children of teen mothers. Outcome findings related to the infants revealed no delays in development as measured on the Denver Development Screening Test, adequate follow-up for identified health problems, and a high percentage of the children with up-to-date with immunizations. The research question findings showed a statistically significant drop in self esteem for the teens between birth and 6 months, and in social support between 6 and 18 months. No other findings were significant, but some trends appeared when the sample was divided by ethnicity, suggesting a need for closer follow-up for certain groups. Implications for public health nursing and nursing education are included.