Educational Attainment among High-Risk Teenage Mothers

Decreased educational attainment has been associated with numerous factors such as teenage pregnancy, repeat pregnancy, risky sexual behavior, substance use, depression, and parental distress. Educational attainment was examined among a group of predominantly Mexican American teenage mothers who were considered at high risk to have a repeat pregnancy, contract sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and use substances. Project Success Longitudinal Study is part of a national study funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Participants were recruited from eight traditional high schools in a large South Texas school district, an area with a high rate of teenage pregnancy and substance use. The treatment intervention included a multidimensional curriculum that was implemented in the participants' high schools in addition to home- and school-based case management services. It was hypothesized that participants who received the intervention would be more likely to attain their high school degree or equivalent and that amount of treatment received would be associated with educational attainment. Additionally, it was hypothesized that profiles of participants who attained their high school degree or equivalent would differ in the areas of parental distress, social support, symptoms of depression, and substance use when compared to participants who did not attain their high school degree or equivalent. Results indicated that participants who received the intervention reported increased educational attainment during the first two years of the study. Additionally, all participants experienced positive changes on various psychosocial measures.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of North Texas

Year dc:date

2007

Author dc:creator

• Ortiz, Lisa M.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Jenkins, Sharon Rae
• Amodei, Nancy
• Guarnaccia, Charles A.
• Murrell, Amy R.
• Cruz, Alicia Re

• teenage pregnancy
• educational attainment
• degree attainment
• Mexican American
• substance use
• Mexican American teenage mothers -- Education (Secondary) -- Texas, South.
• Mexican American teenage mothers -- Texas, South -- Psychology.
• Mexican American teenage mothers -- Texas, South -- Longitudinal studies.

Statement dc:rights

• Public
• Copyright
• Ortiz, Lisa M.
• Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

oclc: 192019731
https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3929/
ark: ark:/67531/metadc3929

OAI identifier oai:identifier

info:ark/67531/metadc3929