Psychosocial and familial variables associated with teenage pregnancy Variables psicosociales y familiares asociadas con el embarazo de adolescentes.

Preventive measures for teenage pregnancy (TP), would decrease infant mortality, early undernutrition and statal social expenditure. The cost of programs for TP would decrease with a sensitive risk indicator. We searched some pysoshocial and familial parameters, useful to built up this indicator. Self esteem (Piers-Harris test), intrafamilial relationship (Familial Apgar of Magdaleno) and the use of break time were studied in 60 pregnant teenagers (PT), 60 non pregnant teenagers at a low risk of pregnancy (LRP) and 60 non pregnant teenagers at a high risk of pregnancy (HRP). PT and HRP showed lower self esteem than LRP (88.3, 70.0 Y 41.6% respectively, under 7 points) lower familial Apgar (61.6, 50 y 8.3% under score 6) and lower the quality of use of break time (66.7, 74.1 y 31.7% respectively with regular or deficient quality). The self esteem, intrafamilial relationship hand use of break time were associated to early pregnancy and high risk of pregnancy. These parameters are import

Early pregnancy risk: development and validation of a predictive instrument Riesgo de embarazo temprano: construcción y validación de un instrumento predictor.

An early pregnancy risk scale, with scores ranging from 11 to 66 points from lower to higher risk, was constructed using variables associated with teenager's pregnancy. This scale was applied to 3000 female teenagers, coming from Metropolitan Santiago public schools. The sample was divided in three risk groups: group A (high risk) with scores equal or over 35 points, group B (low risk) with scores equal or below 20 points and group B (intermediate risk) with scores between 20.1 and 34.9 points. These girls were followed during 2 years. During this period, 84 girls became pregnant, 24 of 184 (13%) in group A, 60 of 2332 (2.6%) in group C and none of 307 in group B. There were 104 school desertions in group A and 37 in group B. To study associations and analyze risk, the sample was divided in two risk groups: high, with scores over 27 and low, with scores below 27. There was a high association between pregnancy risk score and the occurrence of pregnancy (RR 5.25 p < 0.0001) and school d