Maria Luisa Jimenez Sanchez’s research while affiliated with Asociacion Civil Impacta Salud y Educacion and other places

Adolescent parents and their offspring experience worse health outcomes throughout the life course. While over 90% of adolescent births occur in low- and middle-income countries, data from many such countries are lacking, particularly from fathers. This qualitative study conducted in Lima, Peru characterises the experience of adolescent fathers and identifies potential intervention targets. Interviews with young fathers and the mothers of their children were coded and analysed using thematic analysis and a grounded theory approach. Factors impacting their experience included family support, changes in their relationship with their partner, gender dynamics, and financial pressure. The study identified family and couple conflict, gendered expectations, and the father's personal development as potential intervention targets. Further research is needed to develop interventions that effectively engage adolescent fathers in low- and middle-income countries such as Peru, and support their transition to fatherhood.

Objective The purpose of this study was to characterize the impact of adolescent pregnancy on families and describe the needs of adolescent mothers and their infants in order to assess the need for intervention and identify potential intervention targets. Background Adolescent mothers and their offspring face an increased risk of mental health problems. Adolescent mothers and their families also face significant resource constraints; 95% live in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs). Cost‐effective interventions are needed to improve outcomes for this vulnerable group. Method This qualitative study conducted in Lima, Peru, consisted of four clinician focus groups and 18 in‐depth interviews with adolescent mothers and their family members. Data were coded thematically, and direct content analysis was employed. Results The study identified the following issues facing adolescent parents: the transition to parenthood, the need for family support, difficulty accessing support, the difficulty for family members of providing support, and ideas about responsibility and adolescent autonomy. Conclusion Overall, these findings demonstrate the need for interventions that engage families and address barriers to accessing support, including relationship conflict and differing beliefs about responsibility and autonomy. Implications Interventions are needed for adolescent mothers in LMICs that mobilize family support. Clinicians who care for these patients need to be aware of the family context and the resources available where they practice.

Adverse childhood experiences have a lasting impact on health across the life course. The perinatal period offers a unique opportunity to rework problematic dynamics in families experiencing intergenerational trauma. This study explores the family dynamics that are activated during the perinatal period and considers the potential for intervention with adolescent parents and their families in Lima, Peru. This narrative analysis was part of a broader study that included focus groups and in-depth interviews. Of the ten adolescent mothers interviewed, four narratives were selected for presentation in this manuscript. These particular narratives were selected to illustrate the diversity of the experiences among this group and for the exceptional level of detail provided about their life experiences and family relationships. Narrative excerpts were analyzed in the context of the entire interview and the aggregate content of other interviews in order to explore both explicit and implicit meanings. This study identified critical relational shifts among adolescent parents and their families during the perinatal period. In one instance, adolescent parenthood created an opportunity for the family to come together. In the other cases, conflict escalated, relations grew distant, or both. These narrative data demonstrate that intergenerational trauma can interfere with family relationships in the context of adolescent pregnancy and prevent adolescent parents from accessing needed support from their families. Intervention with families could address the impact of trauma and improve communication and collaboration.