Evaluation of an intergenerational program for pregnant and parenting adolescents.

ABSTRACT

PIP: This study evaluates the Teenage Mothers-Grandmothers (TAM-GM) Program, which operated during 1988-91, at a large inner-city hospital in the Bronx, New York. Pregnant adolescents who received prenatal care were expected to attend classes on labor and delivery, changes in pregnancy, AIDS and sexually transmitted disease prevention, teen concerns, sexuality and family planning, the physical care of the newborn, the emotional needs of the newborn and older infant, and nutrition. Grandmothers attended the classes with their pregnant daughters. Postpartum care in the clinic for the same mothers included check-ups monthly during the first year, bimonthly during the second year, and then every 3-6 months. Children were followed-up until the age of 3 years or until the mother turned age 19. The aim of the TAM-GM was to reduce repeat pregnancy. Grandmothers participated in counseling sessions with a social worker during their daughter's pregnancy and in the first months postpartum. 59 grandmothers, or 39% of those eligible, attended at least one session of the TAM-GM Program; 34 attended 4-12 sessions; and 26 attended 1-3 sessions. Adolescent study participants completed questionnaires (demographic survey, the Moos Family Environment Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Brief Symptoms Inventory, and the Arizona Social Support Interview) at Time 1, at the onset of TAM-GM Program, and at Time 2, when the index children were aged 2-5 years. Of the 65 adolescent participants (38% of the original 171), 32 had mothers who attended at least one TAM-GM session. Open-ended interviews revealed seven categories of concern. Findings indicate that teens whose mothers participated in TAM-GM were significantly less likely to have dropped out of school and had significantly higher self-esteem scores. Teens credited the program with helping them feel better about the pregnancy and with improving relations with their mothers. Findings suggest that all benefitted in numerous ways from TAM-GM.