Abstract
Background
Pregnancy in adolescence presents biological, economic, epidemiological and social vulnerabilities, making adherence to self-care practices fundamental to the well-being of the mother-child binomial.
Objective
Analyze the influence of sociodemographic and clinical variables and the guidance received on adherence to best practices in prenatal care.
Method
This is a descriptive quantitative study conducted with 30 pregnant adolescents who underwent prenatal follow-up in an outpatient clinic.
Results
Mean age of participants was 15.7 years; they had their first sexual intercourse at age 13.7 and 7.5 years of formal education. Most participants had no paid occupation. They had a steady partner and, despite not having planned their pregnancies, they were desired. The worst self-care adherence score was observed in the weight control and nutrition domain, and the best in the risk behavior domain.
Conclusion
Although there was no statistically significant correlation between the sociodemographic and clinical variables, adherence scores are higher when pregnant adolescents report having a steady partner, having planned their pregnancies, and having received guidance.
Keywords:
pregnancy in adolescence; prenatal care; self-care; nursing