The Health Belief Model as a Predictor of Repeat Pregnancies among Jamaican Teenage Mothers

Abstract

This historical cohort study investigated whether dimensions of the expanded Health Belief Model (HBM), the theoretical framework most applicable to the Women's Center Jamaica Foundation (WCJF) Program for Adolescent Mothers, can be applied to predict the occurrence of repeat pregnancies among teen mothers. A random sample ( n = 260) of primiparous Jamaican adolescent mothers 16 years and under who gave birth in 1994 in the parishes of Kingston & St. Andrew, St. Catherine, and Manchester was selected from vital records and interviewed in 1998 for this study. Multivariate analyses indicated that in addition to WCJF program participation, perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, and perceived benefits were significant ( p < .05) independent predictors of repeat pregnancy. We recommend the HBM as a useful tool to identify participants who are more likely to experience one or more repeat pregnancies.