PSYCHOSOCIAL AND FAMILIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY - SELF-ESTEEM, INTRAFAMILIAL RELATION AND USE OF BREAK TIME

Preventive measures for teenage pregnancy (TP), would decrease infant mortality, early undernutrition and statal social expenditure. The cos t of programs for TP would decrease with a sensitive risk indicator. W e searched some pysoshocial and familial parameters, useful to built u p this indicator Self esteem (Piers-Harris test), intrafamilial relati onship (Familial Apgar of Magdaleno) and the use of break time were st udied in 60 pregnant teenagers (PT), 60 non pregnant teenagers at a lo w risk of pregnancy (LRP) and 60 non pregnant teenagers at a high risk of pregnancy (HRP). PT and HRP showed lower self esteem than LRP (88. 3, 70.0 Y 41.6% respectivelly, under 7 points) lower familial Apgar (6 1.6, 50 y 8.3% under score 6) and lower the quality of use of break ti me (66.7, 74.1 y 31.7% respectively with regular or deficient quality) . The self esteem, intrafamilial relationship hand use of break time w ere asociated to early pregnancy and high risk of pregnancy. These par ameters are important to built up a sensitive risk indicator of early pregnancy in order to decrease the prevalence of this serious problem.