Stress and resilience among pregnant teenagers in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Abstract

INTRODUCTION The period of pregnancy is associated with some level of physical, emotional and psychological stress which can be particularly heightened and have more deleterious impact when the expectant mother is a teenager who needs higher level of resilience to cope with the challenges linked with motherhood. This study aimed to assess the level of perceived pregnancy-related stress and its relationship with the level of resilience. METHODS An analytical cross-sectional study design was employed using a structured questionnaire and the study was conducted among 241 adolescents. Perceived stress and resilience were measured using Perceived Stress Scale, and Wagnild & Young Resilience Scale, respectively. Descriptive and inferential statistics were computed using percentages, means with standard deviations, Student's t-test, Pearson correlation, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS Majority of the respondents (194; 80.5%) were categorized as having moderate level of perceived pregnancy-related stress and 186 (77.2%) had low level of resilience. A significant inverse relationship was found between perceived pregnancy-related stress and resilience (r=-0.15, p=0.02). At multivariate level, three variables emerged as independent predictors of higher level of pregnancy-related stress: feeling of shame (OR=3.39; CI: 1.01-11.34), male partner's rejection of pregnancy (OR=3.43; CI: 1.45-8.12) and lack of parental involvement in care (OR= 3.56; CI: 1.65-7.71). CONCLUSIONS There is a significant inverse relationship between perceived pregnancyrelated stress and resilience among teenagers in Nigeria, with higher resilience among the older age groups and those who had support from significant others.

Sociodemographic Influences on Perceived Stress during Pregnancy: Results from the CCREOH Environmental Epidemiologic Study, Suriname

“…Our findings are also in agreement with previous studies that described a higher prevalence of psychological stress among pregnant teenagers [ 23 , 24 ]. The resources and capacity to cope with the stress are generally lower in younger pregnant women compared to older pregnant women [ 25 ]. Intimate partner issues may contribute to high perceived stress in pregnant teenagers, such as lack of partner and having a young partner who rejects paternity or is unsupportive and uninvolved [ 25 ].…”

“…The resources and capacity to cope with the stress are generally lower in younger pregnant women compared to older pregnant women [ 25 ]. Intimate partner issues may contribute to high perceived stress in pregnant teenagers, such as lack of partner and having a young partner who rejects paternity or is unsupportive and uninvolved [ 25 ]. Partner support may play an important role in the psychological well-being of pregnant teenagers [ 26 ].…”

“…Partner support may play an important role in the psychological well-being of pregnant teenagers [ 26 ]. Other contributing factors to high perceived stress in teenagers may be experiencing feelings of shame, stigmatization, loneliness, and helplessness [ 25 ].…”

An Integrative Review of the Research on Teen Mothers’ Resilience

“…In the majority of quantitative studies reviewed here, risks were limited to one or two factors. Risks included a maternal history of maltreatment (Bartlett & Easterbrooks, 2015); depressive symptoms (Easterbrooks et al, 2016); confrontational relationships between teen mothers and grandmothers (Hess et al, 2002); and stress (Olajubu et al, 2021; Perez-Brena et al, 2020). The study by Easterbrooks et al (2011) was an exception; this team included multiple risks to determine how teen mothers’ resilience in parenting varied.…”

The Resilience of Unwed Pregnant Teenagers: A Preliminary Survey at Malaysian Women’s Shelter Homes

“…This behavior may be due to the support and good relationship of UPTs with caregivers and friends (other residents) in the shelters. A study by Olajubu et al (2021) explained the importance of social support as a positive moderating factor on the stress level of pregnant teenagers. Thus, social support is important as those in the shelters will easily feel depressed and lonely due to being separated from their family for a long period (Nasir et al, 2016;Hayward, 2011).…”