Stress and resilience among pregnant teenagers in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction The period of pregnancy is associated with some level of physical, emotional and psychological stress which can be particularly heightened and have more deleterious impact when the expectant mother is a teenager who needs higher level of resilience to cope with the challenges linked with motherhood. This study aimed to assess the level of perceived pregnancy-related stress and its relationship with the level of resilience. Methods An analytical cross-sectional study design was employed using a structured questionnaire and the study was conducted among 241 adolescents. Perceived stress and resilience were measured using Perceived Stress Scale, and Wagnild & Young Resilience Scale, respectively. Descriptive and inferential statistics were computed using percentages, means with standard deviations, Student’s t-test, Pearson correlation, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multivariate logistic regression. Results Majority of the respondents (194; 80.5%) were categorized as having moderate level of perceived pregnancy-related stress and 186 (77.2%) had low level of resilience. A significant inverse relationship was found between perceived pregnancy-related stress and resilience (r=-0.15, p=0.02). At multivariate level, three variables emerged as independent predictors of higher level of pregnancy-related stress: feeling of shame (OR=3.39; CI: 1.01–11.34), male partner’s rejection of pregnancy (OR=3.43; CI: 1.45–8.12) and lack of parental involvement in care (OR= 3.56; CI: 1.65–7.71). Conclusions There is a significant inverse relationship between perceived pregnancy-related stress and resilience among teenagers in Nigeria, with higher resilience among the older age groups and those who had support from significant others.

Keywords

• teenage pregnancy
• adolescent
• pregnancy-related stress
• resilience
• stigmatization
• social support