MA (Psychology) / Department of Psychology / In South Africa, today, teenage pregnancy is on the increase, resulting in social and public health problems. The Department of Health (2002) indicates that, nationally 16.4% of the teenagers become pregnant every month. The Department also states that 26.4% of Grade 8 learners, 13.4% Grade 9 learners, 12.6% Grade 12 and 13.3% Grade 11 learners, fall pregnant every month. Many of these teenage mothers are confronted with various health problem, for example, HIV/AIDS, psychological (for example, high stress) and social problems (for example, lack of parenting skills, neglect, poverty, and low educational attainment). These problems have far-reaching consequences on the mothers. For example, many teenage mothers drop-out of school, attempt to commit suicide, as well as take part in prostitution and robbery. Many are unemployed and this puts the welfare of their children at risk. This research study was qualitative in nature. The exploratory phenomenological design was used in this study to explore the experiences or challenges of teenage mothers on social support as pregnancy interferes with all aspects of their lives. For example, it jeopardises teenage mothers’ relationships with their parents who are the main source of support for the young mothers. If this relationship is broken, it reduces the chances of the young mother’s success. These factors contribute to an inadequate parent-child interaction and diminish the infant’s development. Support during pregnancy and after birth is vital for a teenage mother. If her future and mental health are to be bright, then she needs to have strong social support. Non- probability sampling methods were used, namely purposive and snowball sampling. Pre-testing was done with four teenage mothers who had the same background as those in the main study. Data were collected from six teenage mothers through semistructured face to face interviews which required teenage mothers to answer a set of predetermined questions. The question asked allowed probing and clarification of answers. A tape recorder was used and the language used was Tshivenda. All ethical issues were adhered to throughout the study. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the collected data. The findings from the interviews were integrated to avoid repetition. From the analysed v data, the following themes emerged: Challenges experienced by teenage mothers; Support system for teenage mothers; and Coping strategies for teenage mothers. Analysis of data revealed that lack of social support for teenage mothers was a major problem and this was collaborated by literature. These findings revealed that teenage mothers experience many challenges compared to the support they get from significant others. In this study, the researcher found that doing field work with teenage mothers with low educational backgrounds is very challenging because they do not understand what research is all about. The researcher realised that there is more that South African needs to do to encourage people to support teenage mothers. Whilst the work done at Tshikuwi is appreciated, the researcher feels it is too little too late considering the number of teenage mothers who continue to lack support. The researcher recommends that teenage mothers who experience challenges should take the initiatives to start projects that will boost their confidence. Teachers who teach life science orientations should, in the meantime, focus on teaching learners about the consequences of not having support either from family or partners and communities.

MCur / Department of Advanced Nursing Science / Each year, an estimated 3.6 million infants die worldwide in the first four weeks of life due to complications of premature birth. One-third of Low Birth Weight (LBW) babies die within the first 12 hours after delivery. The main reasons premature babies are at greater risk of illness and death is that they lack the ability to control their body temperature meaning that they get cold or hypothermic very quickly. Kangaroo Mother Care reduces mortality and if widely applied it could reduce deaths in premature newborn babies. The purpose of this study is to explore and describe the lived experiences of mothers when providing Kangaroo Mother Care at the hospitals in Vhembe District of Limpopo province. Qualitative approach with explorative descriptive, contextual and phenomenological designs were employed to explore the experiences of mothers when providing Kangaroo Mother Care. The study population consisted of all mothers who were providing Kangaroo Mother Care. A non-probability convenience sampling method was used to determine the sample of the study. The size of the sample was determined by data saturation. In-depth individual interviews were conducted using a central question. The Tesch’s eight steps of open-coding model guided the process to analyse data. Trustworthiness was ensured throughout by employing the principles of credibility, dependability, conformability, and transferability. Ethical considerations were followed to protect the participants. Recommendations were made based on the research findings. The findings of the study revealed that mothers who provide Kangaroo Mother Care experience challenges. They received inconsistent information about the practice of Kangaroo Mother Care from nurses. The relationship between mothers and nurses was good. Recomendations were made based on the findings and relevant structures in order to ensure that mothers challenges are addressed. The study revealed ineffective support provided to mothers by nurses and family members. / NRF

PhD (Sociology) / Department of Sociology / The purpose of this study was to critically determine the impact of communal child-rearing approach on the prevalence of teenage pregnancy in Vhembe District, in order to develop facilitation tools from which the parents can be empowered on the constructive parenting approaches, specifically for a girl-child and teenage girls against the prevalence of teenage pregnancy. This study further empowers the teenage girls in particular growing-up in Vhembe District with the chance of healthy development and future favourable womanhood. A combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches was used to conduct the study, with a quantitative description and exploratory study design. A total of 400 participants, mainly teenage girls, participated in a quantitative approach. Then 16 pregnant teenage girls, 19 teenage mothers, 6 key informants and 23 parents of pregnant teenage girls and mothers participated in a qualitative approach. The participants for the quantitative approach were sampled using the stratified random sampling technique because of the age-specific (13-19 years). Close-ended questionnaires were administered to them. The participants for in-depth interviews were sampled using the purposive and snowball non-random sampling technique. They were high school principals, teachers, and community leaders, pregnant teenage girls and teenage mothers, and their parents. Data collected through close-ended questionnaires were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) programme. Frequencies tables were created to categorize variables and cross-sectional frequencies tables were further created to show associations between the variables. The data collected through structured interviews, matrices were created using content thematic analysis. The responses were grouped thematically and, with the emergence of subthemes, broad categories were generated to differentiate and explain the thoughts expressed by the participants. The study findings suggest that the prevalence of teenage pregnancy is purely a social behavioral problem develop through critical parenting practices and approaches. The study concluded that the total blame for the prevalence of teenage pregnancy is in the way parents raise the teenage girls, whether influenced by their socio-economic status, cultural values, availability or absence of the other parent, etc. the primary lack of sensitive parenting recognition of the prevalence of teenage pregnancy, critically placed the teenage girls in Vhembe District in the prevalence of teenage pregnancy. / NRF

MCur / Department of Advanced Nursing Science / The Department of Education has stated that parents and guardians may not be absolved from their responsibilities regarding their pregnant child, and they should take the lead in working with the school to support and monitor their child’s health and progress. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the role of parents regarding teenage pregnancy and school attendance in the rural village of Thomo in Mopani District Limpopo Province. The study is qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual in nature. The population comprised of the selected parents and caregivers residing at Thomo village of Mopani District. Purposive sampling was used to select 10 parents and 5 caregivers. Sampling size was determined by data saturation. Data was collected through in-depth individual interviews, guided by unstructured questions, data analysis was through open coding. Trustworthiness was ensured through credibility, dependability, conformability and transferability and ethical issues were adhered to. One main theme with four sub - themes emerged from the raw data; namely, parents /caregivers skills and personal factors that affect behaviour change; parents / caregivers intention to change the teenagers’ behaviour; environmental and cultural factors as facilitators/ barriers to pregnancy prevention and parent-school partnerships. Recommendations were made that included the following: awareness campaigns regarding prevention of teenage pregnancy; establishment of the compulsory education subject; review of existing teenage pregnancy policies; engaging parents on youth programs; using churches to strengthen youth education on the dangers of sex before marriage; as well as capacitating parents on effective communication with their children. / NRF