Maternity during adolescence: Negative emotional indicators and associated factors in 14 to 16-year-old mothers from Porto Alegre in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Abstract

The prevalence of negative emotional indicators and associated factors in 430 adolescent mothers between 14 to 16 years of age in Porto Alegre in the State of Rio Grande do Sul was detected. Socio-demographic variables, social and family relationships, reproductive aspects, abuse and violence were studied. The prevalence rate (PR) was obtained by Poisson regression using hierarchical analyses. The prevalence of intense psychological distress was 32.6%, and it was associated with low social class, grade repetition, bad relationship with the mother, lack of acceptance of the pregnancy by the father, and lack of family support during pregnancy. The prevalence of negative self-esteem was 15.4%, and it was associated with the bad relationship with the mother and not having a person to confide in. Little or no expectation for the future was found in 7.5% of the adolescents and was associated with grade repetition, nurturing by the biological mother, early sexual initiation, and the occurrence of physical abuse. The high prevalence of psychological distress found in the adolescent mothers of this study deserves special attention from the public policies in health in order to include qualified professionals to manage the emotional aspects of early motherhood.