Rationale: There is limited research available in South Africa that explores the breastfeeding experience among adolescent mothers; most of the studies were conducted in developed countries. One such study relating to the above mentioned developed countries stated that social and commitment factors influence the decision to breastfeed by adolescents. Furthermore, while adolescent mothers appreciate the benefits of breastfeeding, pain, public exposure and perceived complexities related to breastfeeding create barriers for them. The researcher was unable to ascertain if similar ambiguities exist among adolescent mothers in South Africa, and in the Eastern Cape (EC) in particular with its high rates of adolescent pregnancy. In order to attempt to develop age appropriate recommendations to assist adolescent mothers with their breastfeeding journey, the researcher undertook this research study to answer the following question: What are the breastfeeding experiences of adolescent mothers in the Nelson Mandela Bay Heath District (NMBHD)? Aim: The research aim was to determine the experiences of adolescent mothers regarding breastfeeding in NMBHD. Methods: The study implemented a qualitative research approach. To enhance the design, the researcher utilised an explorative, descriptive and contextual research design. The ethical principles that guided this study were autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence and justice. Fourteen adolescent mothers, attending PHC facilities in the NMBHD participated in the study. Participants were chosen from a purposive sampling technique and data were collected from semi-structured interviews, compromising of individual interviews. The researcher analysed the data using the using the eight steps of the Tesch analysis technique. Data was also analysed by an independent coder. Results obtained from the Tesch approach were compared to that of the independent coder results. Thereafter, the major themes and sub-themes that related to the study objectives were identified. Results: Three themes and 10 sub-themes were identified. Lack of knowledge and poor adherence to EBF, perceived breastmilk insufficiency, as well as incorrect infant feeding advice given by maternal mothers and grandmothers were associated with early introduction of complementary feeding. Most participants were motivated to breastfeed due to its economic and bonding benefits, as well as seeing their infant‟s progress in growth. Challenges of breastfeeding mentioned by the participants include: lack of support from the fathers of their infants and from health care providers, breast milk leakage, and the foul smell associated with the leaking of breast milk. The participants of the study also had suggestions to help improve the support given to adolescent mothers by health care providers in PHC facilities. Conclusions and recommendations: In conclusion, this study‟s findings revealed that adolescent mothers may need extra age appropriate education and support to assist them in breastfeeding successfully at PHC facilities, the community and schools. Maternal mothers and grandmothers were found to be the primary source of a support network for most adolescent mothers as opposed to health care providers who were categorised as being the secondary source of support. Thus, breastfeeding promotion tailored at maternal mothers and grandmothers would be beneficial in improving their knowledge about the recommended infant feeding practices and consequently aid in providing appropriate support and advice to adolescent mothers. Additionally, training and attitude modification of health care providers is needed to provide adolescent mothers with age-appropriate, effective and sensitive care and counselling.

No description available.

Thesis (M.Ed. (Curriculum Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / The aim of this study was to explore perceptions of learners on the effectiveness of socio-economic intervention strategies in Mawa area, Mopani District in Limpopo Province. The study sought to investigate the effectiveness of socio-economic intervention strategies and to find out from learners other ways that can help in reducing teenage pregnancy. Six learners from three secondary schools between the ages of 14 and 19 were sampled. Data was collected using in-depth interviews to allow the researcher a platform to ask open-response questions and to explore learners’ perceptions of the effectiveness of socio-economic intervention strategies. The data was analysed thematically by carefully identifying and expanding significant themes that emerged from the participants’ perceptions of the effectiveness of socio-economic intervention strategies for teenage pregnancy. The study revealed that socio-economic intervention strategies for teenage pregnancy are not effective in rural areas of Mawa, Mopani District in Limpopo Province and as such, there is a greater need for parenting education in the province. The study recommends that priority be given to employment as well as women empowerment in the province; and that religious organisations, community leaders and teachers should work together and harder to educate their children about sex and teenage pregnancy. The study further recommends that government should fund researchers to be placed in rural areas so that they can study the culture and socio dynamics (economic structures) in different rural communities. In this way, they will be able to recommend intervention strategies and solutions that are in line with the challenges faced by teenagers in those communities.

Although many international and South African studies have investigated teenage parenting, they have rarely viewed the parenting support given to teenage mothers from a coparenting perspective. Coparenting is defined as the manner in which caregivers who are responsible for the upbringing of children, work together in their role as parents to negotiate the child rearing process. Consequently, much of the literature on teenage parenting remains inconclusive in terms of the beneficial nature of parenting support. In South Africa, very little is currently known about the availability of parenting support to teenage mothers from members of the extended family or from the child’s father and about the quality and processes that underlie these parenting relationships. A considerable body of evidence has found the quality of this relationship to be an important facilitator of parenting competence and a predictor of child development outcomes. Coparenting theory and constructs have largely been developed within nuclear, Western family structures that limit their generalizability and applicability to other family systems and contexts. Using a synergistic mixed methods research approach, this study examined the coparenting arrangements and relationship quality of 36 teenage mothers. Quantitative and qualitative data from the teenage mothers, their coparents and key community informants were used to understand coparenting within a particular low-income community where teenage parenting was found to be prevalent. The results revealed that the majority of teenage mothers could identify at least one coparent. A multi-person coparenting arrangement –typically coparenting with both the grandmother and the child’s father – was found to be more common than coparenting with only one other person. The newly developed, multi-domain measure of coparenting quality indicated that teenage mothers’ relationship with coparents was supportive, with minimal conflict and undermining by coparents. Qualitative differences in the roles of coparents revealed that coparenting fathers took on more traditional roles as providers and decision makers in comparison to grandmothers, who mainly performed mentoring roles to facilitate the teenage mothers’ maternal competence. The implications of these findings for coparenting theory as well as interventions and policies related to teenage parenting are discussed. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) / Unrestricted

The aim of the study was to investigate the role of the life skills training programme in instilling resilience to HIV infection among teen mothers. The study targeted teenage mothers who took part in a life skills training programme in a rural area of Lesotho between 2009 and 2014. The objectives of the study were to; understand what teen mothers have learnt by participating in the project; understand how useful the knowledge was in helping them to cope with HIV and AIDS; understand whether the teen mothers are still using the skills they have been taught to cope with HIV and AIDS, and to understand how the participation in the project benefited them. The research design of the study was quantitative research. A census survey was used to collect data among research participants. The study employed the Health Belief Model, self-efficacy, and resilience theories to explore levels of resilience among teen mothers. The findings show that the teen mothers’ resilience to HIV and AIDS was enhanced by the life skills training. It also shows that the information raised teen mothers’ levels of awareness of health risks and mitigating actions (life skills). This in turn improved their confidence and competency to implement positive behaviour change. It has also emerged from the study that there is continued use of the acquired knowledge and skills by the teen mothers after the project. The findings also provide evidence of the value of conducting follow up studies on intervention programmes. The study recommends life skills programme be an inseparable part of HIV and AIDS awareness, especially among teenagers. Such intervention should ideally form part of the school curriculum. / Sociology / M.A. (Social Behavior Studies in HIV and AIDS)

A qualitative study was done to explore and describe the problems of teenage mothers in the southern Hho-Hho region of Swaziland. Ten teenage mothers wrote naive sketches and fourteen teenage mothers were interviewed. The findings of the research indicated a lack of support for the teenage mother in all the dimensions studies in this research which include physical, social, cultural, emotional, spiritual, economical and educational. This lack of support systems were found to be the paramount problem and need urgent attention. The vicious circle of lack of support, ignorance, interruption of education and unplanned motherhood can only be addressed if all stakeholders including the multidisciplinary team actively participate to prevent teenage pregnancy and provide support for teenagers in general. / Nursing Science / M.A. (Nursing Science)

A qualitative study was done to explore and describe the problems of teenage mothers in the southern Hho-Hho region of Swaziland. Ten teenage mothers wrote naive sketches and fourteen teenage mothers were interviewed. The findings of the research indicated a lack of support for the teenage mother in all the dimensions studies in this research which include physical, social, cultural, emotional, spiritual, economical and educational. This lack of support systems were found to be the paramount problem and need urgent attention. The vicious circle of lack of support, ignorance, interruption of education and unplanned motherhood can only be addressed if all stakeholders including the multidisciplinary team actively participate to prevent teenage pregnancy and provide support for teenagers in general. / Adanced Nursing Sciences / M.A. (Nursing Science)

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Enligt statistik föreligger det en högre frekvens av tonårsfödslar i detta specifika brukssamhälle i jämförelse med en närliggande mellanstorstad.  Det existerar ofta en speciell bruksanda i brukssamhällen där arbete många gånger föredras framför utbildning. Uppmuntrar denna mentalitet till att skaffa barn i ung ålder och vilken betydelse och påverkan har mödrarnas ålder vid barnafödande? Skapar tonårsmammorna sin identitet genom att reproducera mödrarnas livsstil? För att ta reda på detta har fem tonårsmammor blivit intervjuade och fått lämna sin livsberättelse. Intervjufrågorna var uppdelade i tematisk ordning för att få en följsam berättelse. En professionell person som är anställd i en stödgrupp på orten har blivit intervjuad för att få en nyanserad bild av tonårsmammornas situation. Analysen av intervjuerna är genomförd med hjälp av teorier av Skeggs, Angelöw & Jonsson och Giddens om respektabilitet, roller och identitet. I forskningsprocessen upptäcktes vissa tydliga mönster gällande barnafödande och utbildningsnivå. De flesta tonårsmammorna hade mödrar som skaffat barn när de var i tonåren. De flest unga mammorna och deras föräldrar saknade eftergymnasial utbildning. Kulturen och den norm som råder i brukssamhället uppmuntrar ungdomar att skaffa barn tidigt. / According to statistics, there is a higher rate of teenage births in this specific industrial community in comparison with the big city. There is often a special spirit of the mining communities where work is preferred more often than education. Does this mentality encourages having children at a young age and which meaning and influence do their mother’s age at childbirth. Creates teenage mothers their identity by reproducing maternal lifestyle. To find this out, five teenage mothers had been surveyed and they left theirs life story. The interview questions were divided into thematic order to get a smooth narrative. A professional person who is employed in a support group in the community has been interviewed to get a balanced picture of teenage mothers' situation. The analysis of the interviews implemented with using theories of Skeggs, Angelöw & Jonsson, and Giddens on respectability, roles and identity. The research discovered some clear patterns concerning child bearing and education. Most teenage mothers were mothers who had children when they were in their teens. The most of the young mothers and their parents had no post-secondary education. In the industrial community, the culture and the norms  encourages young people to have children earlier.

Teenage childbearing has been a cause for concern in South Africa. A number of studies claim that early childbearing has been increasing, while other studies indicate that say it has remained constant. Despite lack of consensus on the trend, there is agreement that the levels are high. The Reproductive Health Research Unit (2003) survey reported that close to 15 percent of teenage women become pregnant between the ages of 15 to 19 years. Teenage childbearing has raised major concerns for government, researchers and communities (Cherry et al, 2001). Researchers have identified a number of factors which contribute to teenage childbearing. Lately, there has been an ongoing debate about the introduction of social security system (Child Support Grants), which is meant to assist in alleviating child poverty. Some argued that Child Support Grants has contributed in high pregnancies among teenagers. However, the research on the relationship between Child Support Grants and teenage childbearing has not been consistent. This study explored sexual and reproductive patterns observed among teenagers. The focus was on understanding experiences of school going adolescents. The study also aimed to establish the environment surrounding childbearing in schools and the perception of child support grants through interviewing key informants and teenagers themselves. In summary, the study collected qualitative and qualtitative information from teenagers and teachers in schools, and from teenagers collecting CSG from paypoints. Findings from this sudy indicate that sexual practices among teenagers are complex. Teenagers are aware of the negative effects around early sexual initiation and childbearing support. However despite of this awareness, the study shows that more than half (52.7 percent) of teenagers become sexually at an early age more males (53.7 percent) than females (46.3 percent) were sexual active. Of the sexually active teenagers, findings show that 26.7 percent had their first sexual intercourse at the age of 15 years, 22.0 percent at 14 years, and 16.8 percent at the age of 16 years. The median age at sexual debut for both males and females was 14 years. While, teenagers without children were most likely to report that teenage mothers are having children to receive CSG, but teenage mothers did not confirm this. It was also interesting to discover that more males than females believed that teenagers take advantage of CSGs. However, indings clearly indicate that there are mixed perceptions with regard to impact of CSG on teen childbearing. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.