The relationship of family functioning and self-perception to adolescent pregnancy: A cultural perspective

Identifying adolescents at risk for pregnancy remains an issue of global concern. This study focused on identifying the differences between adolescent females in Central America, those who were or are now pregnant and those who are not and have never been pregnant. A series of self report surveys was given to both groups covering the areas of family cohesion, family adaptability, family communication, individual self-esteem and individual loneliness. A discriminant analysis comparing the two groups revealed that all five variables were not able to discriminate between the two groups at a significant level. The two individual variables of esteem and loneliness were able to discriminate the groups at a significant level. The pregnant group reported lower levels of individual loneliness and higher levels of individual esteem. Implications for research and intervention are discussed