Psychosocial aspects of Mexican-American, white, and black teenage pregnancy

Abstract This study assesses whether pregnant Mexican-American adolescents have psychosocial characteristics different from their pregnant white or black peers. The study population consisted of 199 consecutive Mexican-American, white, and black pregnant adolescents, ages 11–19 years, followed prospectiveely at the University of California San Diego Medical Center Teen Obstetric Clinic from 1978 to 1981 (79 whites, 76 Mexican-Americans, and 44 blacks). Although all three groups had the same chronologic age (X = 16.4 ± 1.4 years), and the same number of years of schooling, pregnant black adolescents were more likely to be in school at the time of registration for prenatal care ( p p p p p p p p p