The “kaleidoscope” of factors influencing urban adolescent pregnancy in Baltimore, Maryland

Existing intervention and prevention efforts for adolescent pregnancy focus primarily on individual-level approaches; however, there is an emerging expectation to include a more contextually based social-ecological approach. This approach is salient in urban communities like Baltimore, Maryland, with one of the nation’s highest adolescent pregnancy and birth rates. Poverty, community violence, and compromised school systems further complicate the precursors and consequences of adolescent pregnancy. In this mixed methods study, we conducted interviews with key informants (n = 16) from community-based organizations, health departments, foundations, the public school system, clinics, and the faith community who worked with youth in Baltimore to gain a more comprehensive perspective on factors affecting adolescent pregnancy. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using the constant comparative method. Geographic maps of select socio-demographic variables were created to examine the community context. Results highlighted contributing multi-level factors that emerged across the social-ecological model. Key informants described community- (e.g., environment, community norms, public policy; “Teen pregnancy is norm in many communities”), interpersonal- (e.g., peer social norms; “If you don’t perceive that you have a whole lot of options, you might just kind-of do what everybody else does”), and intrapersonal-level (e.g., specific developmental phase, self-esteem; “You need somebody to love and somebody to love you back”) influences on adolescent pregnancy and birth. GIS maps further illustrated disparities in adolescent birth rates, poverty level, and available community resources. Key informants recommended institutional and structural changes in the community, such as improving sexuality education and school-based health centers and increasing inter-organizational collaboration. These findings underscore the importance of considering creative community partnerships that address key social determinants of reproductive health in developing interventions to address adolescent pregnancy

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study of Teen Mothers Who Graduated from an Alternative School

Many studies support the recurring theme that due to early childbearing, the education of teen mothers is jeopardized. Negative stereotypes towards them also prevail representing the view that teen mothers are wayward, divergent, and burdensome to society. However, there is support from the literature that the majority of them maintain career and educational aspirations. Moreover, access of pregnant minors and teen mothers to public education is guaranteed by law. With this in view, the researcher explored the educational experiences of teen mothers, particularly those who chose to enroll in and eventually graduated from an alternative public school that exclusively serves this population. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used in interviewing seven teen mothers who graduated from an alternative school. This qualitative method was useful in understanding subjective experiences, forming insights about individuals’ motivations and actions. The participants were selected by purposive sampling. Inductive analysis of the data indicated that attending an alternative school provided academic reengagement, structure, motivation, and a safe and caring learning environment for the participants. This study makes a contribution to the scant literature about the educational experiences of teen mothers, providing evidence that they strive to succeed and can succeed educationally when given support and access to academic services. The conclusions serve as a counter discourse to the prevailing negative perceptions towards this challenged population

Family Preservation Journal, 1999, Volume 4, Issue 1. (Entire issue)

Entire issue (large pdf file) Articles include: What Have We Learned from Articles Published in the Family Preservation Journal? Michael J. Holosko, and D. ann Holosko Family Reunion services: An Examination of a Process Used to Successfully Reunite Families. Lois Pierce and Vince Geremia A Multi-Dimensional Approach to Evaluating Family Preservation Programs. Cynthia A. Ford, and Felix A. Okojie Ordinary Families -- Extraordinary Care Giving. John P. Ronna

Predictors of Developmental Screenings for Young Children

This study examines the usefulness of the New Model of Children\u27s Health and its Influences for the identification of predictors for health service effectiveness. Health service effectiveness is measured by probability estimations of whether young children receive formal or informal developmental screenings. Screenings lead to prevention of communication delays in later childhood. Formal screenings with standardized questions are preferred over informal screenings, which are knowledgeable observations. The theoretical framework is a child-centered socio-ecological theory that is untested for use in health service effectiveness studies until the present one. Four developmental concepts of the theoretical framework, social environment, physical environment, biological history, and child behavioral history, are tested through secondary analysis of longitudinal data. Multivariate analysis by Cox regression is used to determine whether predictor variables from any of the four conceptual areas of the framework explain young children\u27s receipt of formal or informal screenings. Cox regression is also used to examine the magnitude of differences on probability estimates generated by the predictor variables for the time of formal or informal screening receipt. The results show that the social environment predictors, maternal depression, maternal race, and maternal age and the child behavioral predictor, infant fussiness and irritability are significantly related to formal screening receipt and the model as a whole is significant. The social environment predictor, maternal depression, and the biological history predictor, birth weight, are significantly related to informal screenings and were the sole contributors to the informal model significance as a predictor of screenings. For both models, maternal depression consistently is associated with early screening receipt. Multiple correlation squared (R2) strength of association measures between the models and survival were weak. The implication of these findings is that the New Model of Children\u27s Health and its Influences is useful in identifying predictors of health service effectiveness and may improve in predictive value under different conditions. Another implication is that when children are very young, maternal depression is a prevalent condition which may create the need for increased health services for children. Alternatively, health policymakers may increase support for new mothers with the aim of decreasing a lengthy need of services for children as they grow and develop

NYAR Savannah Program 2011

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Proceeding: 3rd Java International Nursing Conference 2015 “Harmony of Caring and Healing Inquiry for Holistic Nursing Practice; Enhancing Quality of Care”, Semarang, 20-21 August 2015

This is the proceeding of the 3rd Java International Nursing Conference 2015 organized by School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Diponegoro University, in collaboration with STIKES Kendal. The conference was held on 20-21 August 2015 in Semarang, Indonesia. The conference aims to enable educators, students, practitioners and researchers from nursing, medicine, midwifery and other health sciences to disseminate and discuss evidence of nursing education, research, and practices to improve the quality of care. This conference also provides participants opportunities to develop their professional networks, learn from other colleagues and meet leading personalities in nursing and health sciences. The 3rd JINC 2015 was comprised of keynote lectures and concurrent submitted oral presentations and poster sessions. The following themes have been chosen to be the focus of the conference: (a) Multicenter Science: Physiology, Biology, Chemistry, etc. in Holistic Nursing Practice, (b) Complementary Therapy in Nursing and Complementary, Alternative Medicine: Alternative Medicine (Herbal Medicine), Complementary Therapy (Cupping, Acupuncture, Yoga, Aromatherapy, Music Therapy, etc.), (c) Application of Inter-professional Collaboration and Education: Education Development in Holistic Nursing, Competencies of Holistic Nursing, Learning Methods and Assessments, and (d) Application of Holistic Nursing: Leadership & Management, Entrepreneurship in Holistic Nursing, Application of Holistic Nursing in Clinical and Community Settings

2018 NYAR (Savannah) Program

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Reflections [Complete issue : Summer 1995, Vol. 21, 2]

Publishing History: Print issues of Reflections magazine were published from 1975 to 1999 and its successor, Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL) began publication in 2000. RNL migrated to an online format, http://www.reflectionsonnursingleadership.org, in 2006 and continues today. RNL is a member benefit of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI). The historical print issues have been made openly available. Publishing Frequency: Quarterly until its transition to online. It’s now updated virtually every day. Format: Print, 1975 - 2005; Online, 2006 - present Feature Articles in this Issue: Urban Health Care Breaking the Barrier of Not Caring Advancing Scholarship and Leadership Astronaut Aids Health Research Computer Networks Advance Traditional Nursing Nurse Guiding Nurse, Mentoring The Future is Interdisciplinary Folklore and Nursing Leadership Externs: Interaction, Involvement, Interpersonal Reward An Evening in Canada Detroit\u27s Magic & Majesty This issue of Reflections is thirty-nine pages in length and contains information of interest to STTI members

Factors contributing to teenage pregnancy in King Cetshwayo District Secondary Schools

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of Master Of Education (M.Ed.) in the Department of Comparative and Science Education at the University of Zululand, 2017The ever-increasing rate of teenage pregnancy has become a major societal challenge, not only in South Africa, but universally. The same applies in King Cetshwayo district in KwaZulu-Natal. Teenage pregnancy has many causes, some of which are new, like the child support grant. The results of teenage pregnancy are destructive, and long-lasting. This has given the researcher an impetus to conduct this study, and investigate as to: ∙ What the factors are that contribute to teenage pregnancy in King Cetshwayo district secondary schools? ∙ Whether there is a relationship between family background and teenage pregnancy in King Cetshwayo district? ∙ What role can be played by educators in mitigating factors contributing to teenage pregnancy in King Cetshwayo district secondary schools? This investigation was pursued with the aim of attaining practical and relevant solutions to this societal menace of teenage pregnancy. The quantitative method involving the use of questionnaires was used to extract data from 125 learners and 25 educators selected to partake in the study in King Cetshwayo district secondary schools. The findings of the study based on the data collected through questionnaires revealed that: ∙ There are factors that contribute to teenage pregnancy in King Cetshwayo district secondary schools, some of which did not exist before. ∙ There is a relationship between family background and teenage pregnancy in King Cetshwayo district. ∙ Educators can play a crucial role in mitigating factors which contribute to teenage pregnancy in King Cetshwayo district secondary schools. The key recommendations which emanated from this study, amongst others, were: ∙ There is a need for fully- fledged sexuality health education to be undertaken in schools. ∙ Contraceptives must be distributed in schools and learners be advised on their use. ∙ Poverty amongst the communities must be eradicated through women’s skill development and education. ∙ Peer educator programmes in schools must be resuscitated. ∙ Sexuality health campaigns must be organised in schools. ∙ Sports and cultural activities in schools must be encouraged. ∙ In-house codes of conduct to manage learner pregnancy must be developed and implemented.National Research Foundation (Grant Number:CPT 160 5131 64973 and 105246

Understanding Barriers African American Teenage Mothers face in Pursuit of Higher Education

Researchers have found that social workers have difficulty identifying their roles in responding to the barriers African American teenage mothers face in pursuit of higher education. This action research project explored the roles social workers play in responding to the barriers African American teenage mothers face in pursuit of a college education and how social workers responded. The ecological systems theory was used to help understand this phenomenon. An action research methodology was used to collect data from 6 licensed social workers who worked with African American teenage mothers. Three focus groups were facilitated to explore the social work practice problem. The data were collected, transcribed and coded using an open coding and thematic analysis process. Findings revealed 5 overarching themes: 1) emotions; 2) barriers; 3) support systems; 4) success factors; and 5) social work practice approaches and implications. Findings indicated that these social workers responded to the barriers African American teenage mothers face by exploring teenage mothers\u27 emotions as well as their own emotions, by using appropriate social work practice approaches, and exploring the factors that contribute to teenage mothers\u27 success. Participants also responded by acknowledging teenage mothers\u27 support systems and by addressing the actual barriers while in the roles of case manager, educator, broker, and advocate. These findings affect positive social change across all systems of society by guiding social workers to find and implement feasible and sustainable psychosocial interventions to address identified barriers. Eliminating these barriers provides higher educational opportunities for African-American teenage mothers