Eva Diniz

Social support and maternal depression from pregnancy to postpartum: the association with positive maternal behaviours among Brazilian adolescent mothers

Adolescent motherhood is a risky situation related to poorer quality of infant caregiving. The lack of social support and increased odds for maternal depression are the main concerns. This study aimed to investigate whether maternal–foetal attachment, social support and maternal depression measured during pregnancy and after birth were associated with postpartum maternal behaviours among Brazilian adolescent mothers. Forty-one adolescent mothers participated (Mage = 16.88 years; SD = 1.60) in the first two waves of a longitudinal study. Both mother and infant behaviours were assessed during videotaped home observations at three months postpartum. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that positive postpartum maternal behaviours were strongly related to concurrent, rather than prenatal, measures of social support and maternal depression. Infant birth weight was also associated with positive maternal behaviours. Findings contribute to a better understanding of the personal and contextual factors affecting maternal behaviours shortly after birth in a high-risk sample of adolescent mothers.

Fatores associados à gravidez em adolescentes brasileiros de baixa renda

This study aimed to assess factors associated with teen pregnancy among low-income Brazilian adolescents (N = 452) with pregnancy experience (n = 226) and without this experience (n = 226). The mean of age of the sample was 16.86 years old (SD = 1.35) and 64% were girls. A multivariate analysis demonstrated that teen pregnancy was associated with: living with the partner; use of oral contraception; lower age of the fi rst sexual intercourse; use of alcoholic drink; and less home chores division. It was observed that teen pregnancy tends to appear when a conjugation of developmental risk variables exists. These results could be helpful to those who work with adolescents as well as to teen pregnancy prevention campaigns.Este estudo teve por objetivo investigar as caracteristicas associadas a gravidez durante a adolescencia em uma populacao de adolescentes brasileiros de baixa renda (N = 452) com experiencia de gravidez (n = 226) e sem esta experiencia (n = 226). A media de idade dos participantes foi de 16,86 anos (DP = 1,35) e 64% eram do sexo feminino. Os resultados da analise multivariada revelaram que a gravidez durante a adolescencia se associou a: morar com o companheiro, utilizacao da pilula, menor idade para iniciacao sexual, consumo de bebida alcoolica, e menor divisao das tarefas domesticas na familia. A gravidez durante a adolescencia tende a surgir perante um conjunto de variaveis que expressam a vulnerabilidade do contexto desenvolvimental do(a) adolescente. Essa podera ser uma importante informacao para intervencoes dirigidas para esta populacao, assim como para trabalhos de prevencao de gravidez durante a adolescencia.

Social support moderates association between depression and maternal–fetal attachment among pregnant Brazilian adolescents

Objective: This study investigated the association between maternal depression and maternal–fetal attachment (MFA) and whether contextual variables such as social support and fathers’ presence moderated this association. Background: Adolescent pregnancy is associated with multiple risk factors that may compromise the relationship between mothers and their infants. However, this relationship starts during pregnancy, being affected by aspects such as social support and maternal depression. Method: Forty-nine adolescent mothers (Mage = 16.49 years; SD = 1.58) participated in the first wave of a longitudinal study which investigated social factors associated with parenting characteristics of Brazilian adolescent mothers; 65.3% reported they were cohabiting (married or living together) with the infant’s father. Results: Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that higher levels of social support were associated with greater MFA. Marital status was not significant. The association between maternal depression and MFA was significant for those participants who reported high levels of social support, but not for those participants who reported low levels of social support. Conclusion: Social support emerged as a key variable moderating the association between maternal depression and MFA. Contrary to expectations, maternal depression did not have a negative association with MFA, and further studies are needed to understand how social support promotes MFA, in the presence of other vulnerabilities, such as maternal depression.

Influences of developmental contexts and gender differences on school performance of children and adolescents

This study investigated children and adolescents’ school performance over time focusing on two variables that may influence it: developmental context and gender. The sample comprised 627 participants (Mage = 11.13, SD = 1.8), 51% of them female, from grade one to eight, living either with family (n = 474) or in care institutions (n = 153). Participants answered individually the Teste de Desempenho Escolar (School Performance Test) and the Structured PRONEX Interview. Findings indicated a main effect of time on school performance (i.e., writing, reading and arithmetic). Furthermore this main effect was further qualified by a time and developmental context interaction and by a time and gender interaction. Interactions revealed that the participants from care institutions attained more significant increases in writing and reading than participants living within a family context; and that girls attained more significant increases in writing than boys. Therefore, school performance progress appears as affected by developmental contexts and gender. The findings reveal how school performance needs to be observed as a multidimensional variable, affected by individual characteristics but also by external ones.

Factors associated with pregnancy among low-income Brazilian adolescents

This study aimed to assess factors associated with teen pregnancy among low-income Brazilian adolescents (N = 452) with pregnancy experience (n = 226) and without this experience (n = 226). The mean of age of the sample was 16.86 years old (SD = 1.35) and 64% were girls. A multivariate analysis demonstrated that teen pregnancy was associated with: living with the partner; use of oral contraception; lower age of the fi rst sexual intercourse; use of alcoholic drink; and less home chores division. It was observed that teen pregnancy tends to appear when a conjugation of developmental risk variables exists. These results could be helpful to those who work with adolescents as well as to teen pregnancy prevention campaigns.Este estudo teve por objetivo investigar as caracteristicas associadas a gravidez durante a adolescencia em uma populacao de adolescentes brasileiros de baixa renda (N = 452) com experiencia de gravidez (n = 226) e sem esta experiencia (n = 226). A media de idade dos participantes foi de 16,86 anos (DP = 1,35) e 64% eram do sexo feminino. Os resultados da analise multivariada revelaram que a gravidez durante a adolescencia se associou a: morar com o companheiro, utilizacao da pilula, menor idade para iniciacao sexual, consumo de bebida alcoolica, e menor divisao das tarefas domesticas na familia. A gravidez durante a adolescencia tende a surgir perante um conjunto de variaveis que expressam a vulnerabilidade do contexto desenvolvimental do(a) adolescente. Essa podera ser uma importante informacao para intervencoes dirigidas para esta populacao, assim como para trabalhos de prevencao de gravidez durante a adolescencia.

Research on Natural Settings: Observing Adolescent Mothers and Infants throughout the First Postpartum Year

This manuscript aims to present and discuss challenges regarding naturalistic observation of adolescent mothers and their infants throughout the first postpartum year. Case illustrations were the object to discuss methodological options and issues faced during an observational and longitudinal research. The participants live in vulnerability in a metropolitan area in Southern Brazil. Data collection challenges led to reflections about naturalistic observation and methodological procedures, which were affected by setting characteristics and by the need of adapting to them. Most methodological difficulties were linked to naturalistic observations of mothers and their infants. Personal and contextual aspects of these settings must be taken into account in order to enhance result reliability and the knowledge about cultural idiosyncrasies.

Social Support as Moderator of Knowledge about Infant Development in Adolescent Mothers

O conhecimento sobre desenvolvimento infantil (CDI) e importante nos cuidados da crianca. Embora estudos revelem que maes adolescentes tendem a ter um CDI inferior as adultas, desconhecem-se variaveis associadas a sua variacao no decorrer do tempo. O objetivo foi investigar longitudinalmente o CDI em uma amostra de maes adolescentes e sua associacao com qualidade do comportamento materno, apoio social e depressao pos-parto. O CDI foi avaliado em termos de acertos e erros nas respostas a diferentes dimensoes do desenvolvimento infantil. Originalmente participaram do estudo 49 adolescentes (16.49 anos; DP = 1.58) que responderam ao CDI, apoio social e depressao pos-parto na gravidez, tres (n = 41), seis (n = 39) e 12 meses pos-parto (n = 35). Resultados revelaram que o CDI melhorou durante o primeiro ano de vida, qualificado por uma interacao com apoio social. O apoio social pode trazer informacoes as quais, em geral, as maes adolescentes tem menos acesso, particularmente em maes adolescentes que vivem em contextos de vulnerabilidade.

Longitudinal Adolescent Mother-Infant Interactions: How Do They Happen Within Vulnerable Backgrounds?

This chapter aims to discuss relationships between adolescent mothers, living in vulnerable backgrounds, and their infants throughout the first postpartum year. Life in poverty is often associated with worse developmental outcomes for both adolescent mother and her infant, namely, on the quality of established interaction often affected by ecological distress factors. Assumingly, by taking this information into account, individual development and maternal behaviors are interconnected to the context where they take place. So, it is worth understanding the influence from its characteristics on human development. The chapter presents data about personal and contextual variables, as well as some methodological challenges related to the longitudinal research performed in naturalistic settings. The chapter addresses the impact of background resources on mother-infant interactions, which are the basis of human development. The subject is innovative because it presents some methodological procedures and challenges focused on capturing human development based on ecological background.

Factores asociados al embarazo en adolescentes brasileños de baja renta

This study aimed to assess factors associated with teen pregnancy among low-income Brazilian adolescents (N = 452) with pregnancy experience (n = 226) and without this experience (n = 226). The mean of age of the sample was 16.86 years old (SD = 1.35) and 64% were girls. A multivariate analysis demonstrated that teen pregnancy was associated with: living with the partner; use of oral contraception; lower age of the fi rst sexual intercourse; use of alcoholic drink; and less home chores division. It was observed that teen pregnancy tends to appear when a conjugation of developmental risk variables exists. These results could be helpful to those who work with adolescents as well as to teen pregnancy prevention campaigns.Este estudo teve por objetivo investigar as caracteristicas associadas a gravidez durante a adolescencia em uma populacao de adolescentes brasileiros de baixa renda (N = 452) com experiencia de gravidez (n = 226) e sem esta experiencia (n = 226). A media de idade dos participantes foi de 16,86 anos (DP = 1,35) e 64% eram do sexo feminino. Os resultados da analise multivariada revelaram que a gravidez durante a adolescencia se associou a: morar com o companheiro, utilizacao da pilula, menor idade para iniciacao sexual, consumo de bebida alcoolica, e menor divisao das tarefas domesticas na familia. A gravidez durante a adolescencia tende a surgir perante um conjunto de variaveis que expressam a vulnerabilidade do contexto desenvolvimental do(a) adolescente. Essa podera ser uma importante informacao para intervencoes dirigidas para esta populacao, assim como para trabalhos de prevencao de gravidez durante a adolescencia.