Social support in pregnant teens: a systematic review of social support interventions\ud

Pregnant African American teens face a number of health and social risks that influence the welfare of their babies. The potential to reduce risks of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity in this population is of great public health significance. Supportive programs have demonstrated success in improving outcomes for young mom and baby. The purpose of this thesis is to systematically present the research literature available documenting adolescent pregnancy and parenting programs with a strong social support component. A systematic review of the literature was conducted using three electronic databases to identify social support interventions among pregnant minority adolescents. Interventions were included if they were published between 1991 and March of 2014, occurred in the United States, had participants who were of adolescent age, pregnant, African American or belonging to a minority group, included a social support component, and was published in English. Thirty-three publications were selected for review, describing 25 interventions devoted to the promotion of social support among pregnant teenagers. Characteristics were examined for each intervention; program setting, theoretical basis, participant demographics, components, facilitators, intensity of intervention, and reported outcomes were reviewed. Interventions were provided in clinic-, school-, and community-based settings. The findings of this review suggest that there is strong support for programs promoting social support among pregnant teens. However, minority youth continue to experience elevated risks of adverse health and social consequences of pregnancy. There is a need for dissemination of research findings to community agencies that serve this vulnerable population