Diss. (sammanfattning) Örebro : Örebro universitet, 2007. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

xvi, 243 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / Human birth represents a complex interplay between our evolved biology and the cultural norms and expectations surrounding birth. This project considers both the evolutionary and cultural factors that impact the birth outcomes of teen mothers that received support from a trained labor support person, or doula. Doula support has repeatedly been found to decrease the length of labor, the use of pain medication, the rates of caesarian section, and instrumental births and to increase rates of breastfeeding and bonding. However, virtually no studies evaluate why these positive outcomes occur. Current life history models suggest that traits such as short inter-birth intervals, early weaning, extended dependency, and simultaneously raising multiple dependent offspring co-evolved with child-rearing support from multiple caregivers. These models suggest that mothers should be particularly sensitive to perceived cues of social and material support for childrearing; doulas might provide such cues. The goal of this project was to explore how doula support impacted teen mothers' perceptions of their birth experience and outcomes. Data for the project were drawn from three sources: a 15-month participant observation at a non-profit organization providing doula support to teen mothers, 20 semi-structured interviews with mothers who received doula support for the birth of their babies, and by my attendance as a doula at over 50 births. Results suggest that teen mothers experience upheavals in social relationships with their friends, families, and partners following the discovery of their pregnancy. Participants indicated that doula support increased their knowledge of the birth process, provided unbiased and non judgmental support and information, gave them confidence in their ability to give birth, and encouraged mothers to be proactive in communicating with their care providers. Teens used friendship and kinship terms when describing their doula, suggesting that doula support provides cues of kinship that women have used throughout evolutionary history to assess the availability of alloparental care. While doulas themselves provide salient cues of social support, participants also indicated that doulas increased support from fathers and families, thus mobilizing support from existing social networks. Cues of adequate support may lead to increased maternal investment, thereby improving both maternal and fetal outcomes. / Committee in charge: Lawrence Sugiyama, Chairperson, Anthropology Frances White, Member, Anthropology; James Snodgrass, Member, Anthropology; Melissa Cheyney, Member, Not from U of O; John Orbell, Outside Member, Political Science

This study examined pregnant/parenting adolescents and non-pregnant/non-parenting adolescents in relationship to preoccupied attachment, as measured by the Adult Attachment Projective, and compared the responses of the groups on self-reported behavior, as measured by the Behavior Assessment System for Children. The groups were compared in terms of self-reported social support, as measured by the Social Provisions Scale, and negative life events, as measured by the Life Events Checklist. The two status groups were also compared to determine whether the relationship between interpersonal relations and social provisions was moderated by pregnant/parenting status. Contrary to expectations, the proportion of preoccupied adolescents in the pregnant/parenting group was not significantly higher than the proportion of preoccupied adolescents in the non-pregnant/non-parenting group. The pregnant/parenting groups were found to be significantly higher in average level of self-reported self esteem and significantly lower in average level of self-reported social stress than the non-pregnant/non-k parenting groups, not in the direction predicted. The pregnant/parenting group was significantly higher in average level of social provisions. No significant differences were found between the two status groups average number of reported negative life events, average level of sense of inadequacy, or average level of interpersonal relations. A correlation was found between interpersonal relations and social provisions separately for each status group. Moreover, the relationship was not moderated by pregnant/parenting status (i.e. the correlations were not significantly different). Additional analyses were performed in an effort to control for the two main reasons these adolescents reported for enrolling (needing more credits or expulsion from their former school) in the alternative high schools where the data were collected because a marginally significant associated was found between reason and the pregnant/parenting status. Results determined that the average level of social stress remained significantly different between the two pregnant/parenting status groups. The average level of self-esteem and the average social provisions were no longer were significantly different. Average level of sense of inadequacy and average number of negative events remained non significant between the two pregnant/parenting status groups. Possible explanations for these findings, implications for theory, interventions, and future directions for research are discussed.

No description available.

This thesis explores the relationships between self-esteem and socio-economic factors and characteristics of maternity group home program participation. Self-esteem is used sometimes as the independent variable and sometimes as the dependent variable in this study. A sample of 268 women was used representing the data available in an administrative database on women admitted to the Villa Rosa program for the period from May 1998 to February 2009, after removing cases with too much of the self-esteem measure missing. Methods of analysis included; paired samples t-tests, independent samples t-tests, analysis of variance, repeated measures analysis of variance, standard multiple regression, sequential multiple regression, and multinomial logistic regression. Attempts were made to control for the influence of the several factors. The main findings of the research included: 1) Ethnicity was not found to be significantly related to discharge self-esteem. 2) Self-esteem of residents was found to be significantly healthier at discharge from the program than at intake to the program. 3) Self-esteem was not found to be significantly different between women who participated in a post-natal semi-independent living component of the program and those who did not when controlling for control variables. When the control variable of length of time in the program was removed self-esteem was found to be significantly healthier for women who participated in the post-natal semi-independent living component of the program than those who did not. 4) A significant difference was not found between the discharge self-esteem of women who reported as living with a disability at intake, and women who did not. 5) Self-esteem at discharge was found to be healthier with an increased number of days spent at Villa Rosa. 6) Less healthy intake self-esteem was associated with plans not to breastfeed. 7) More supportive attitudes of social support network as measured at intake were shown to be linked to healthier self-esteem at discharge. 8) Experiences of abuse were not shown to be significantly related to discharge self-esteem. Both support received from the significant findings, and a lack of support from insignificant findings, were found for several self-esteem theories.

This thesis explores the relationships between self-esteem and socio-economic factors and characteristics of maternity group home program participation. Self-esteem is used sometimes as the independent variable and sometimes as the dependent variable in this study. A sample of 268 women was used representing the data available in an administrative database on women admitted to the Villa Rosa program for the period from May 1998 to February 2009, after removing cases with too much of the self-esteem measure missing. Methods of analysis included; paired samples t-tests, independent samples t-tests, analysis of variance, repeated measures analysis of variance, standard multiple regression, sequential multiple regression, and multinomial logistic regression. Attempts were made to control for the influence of the several factors. The main findings of the research included: 1) Ethnicity was not found to be significantly related to discharge self-esteem. 2) Self-esteem of residents was found to be significantly healthier at discharge from the program than at intake to the program. 3) Self-esteem was not found to be significantly different between women who participated in a post-natal semi-independent living component of the program and those who did not when controlling for control variables. When the control variable of length of time in the program was removed self-esteem was found to be significantly healthier for women who participated in the post-natal semi-independent living component of the program than those who did not. 4) A significant difference was not found between the discharge self-esteem of women who reported as living with a disability at intake, and women who did not. 5) Self-esteem at discharge was found to be healthier with an increased number of days spent at Villa Rosa. 6) Less healthy intake self-esteem was associated with plans not to breastfeed. 7) More supportive attitudes of social support network as measured at intake were shown to be linked to healthier self-esteem at discharge. 8) Experiences of abuse were not shown to be significantly related to discharge self-esteem. Both support received from the significant findings, and a lack of support from insignificant findings, were found for several self-esteem theories.

The study institution is a non-profit organization with a model developed from the continuous implementation of needs assessments of the families of adolescent parents in Puerto Rico, with the purpose of increasing their social inclusion potential. Addressing social exclusion and stigmatization of adolescent parents is vital because it generates a dual benefit for social interactions and growth. The social inclusion concept used and further elaborated for adolescent mothers is described by researchers as the level of access to engaging with institutions and societal relationships. This program evaluation was developed to understand the outcomes and effectiveness of the organization's social inclusion interventions. There is a gap in knowledge for comprehensive and family-centered adolescent parent's programs related to their potential for social inclusion. Guided by complex systems theory, the key research questions were designed to assess the potential gains in social inclusion characteristics for the organization's participants. The study utilized organizational, administrative data and used a pre- and post-test design with a comparison group. McNemar test findings indicated statistically significant increase for the intervention group regarding their social inclusion (p < .001); while Wilcoxon test findings indicated statistically significant gain in nurturing family environments (p = .006) and socio-economic positions (p < .001). Further research is recommended to assess the life-course protective factors' characteristics and the social inclusion pathways. The positive social change includes further understanding of social inclusion for adolescent mothers and its related ecological perspectives.