Mother’s Friendship Quality, Parental Support, Quality of Life, and Family Health Work in Families Led by Adolescent Mothers with Preschool Children

Based on the developmental model of health and nursing, hypothesized relationships between mothers’ friendship quality, parental support, quality of life (QOL), and family health work (health-related problem solving) were tested in a community sample of 58 families led by adolescent mothers during structured interviews in which measures of the study variables were administered. Contrary to theoretical expectations, no relationship was found between mothers’ friendship quality and health work. However, moderate positive relationships were found between parental support and health work and between health work and mothers’ QOL. Using path analysis, mothers’ friendship quality, parental support, and family health work predicted 49% of the variance in mothers’ QOL. Although the initial theory was not supported by the data, the addition of a path between parental support and QOL resulted in a model that was an excellent fit with the data. Parental support had the strongest direct effect on mothers’ QOL.

[1]  D. Teti,et al.  Social support, relationship quality, and well-being among pregnant adolescents. , 1999, Journal of adolescence.

[2]  S. Panzarine.  Stressors, coping, and social supports of adolescent mothers. , 1986, Journal of adolescent health care : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine.

[3]  D. Hudson,et al.  Depression, self-esteem, loneliness, and social support among adolescent mothers participating in the new parents project. , 2000, Adolescence.

[4]  I. Wiklund,et al.  Quality of life in newly diagnosed cancer patients. , 1999, Journal of advanced nursing.

[5]  P. Auquier,et al.  Health-related quality of life reported by French adolescents: a predictive approach of health status? , 2001, The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine.

[6]  M. Warner,et al.  A Developmental Model of Health and Nursing , 2002 .

[7]  Kathryn McCannell.  Social networks and the transition to motherhood. , 1988 .

[8]  A. Petersen,et al.  Promoting the Health of Adolescents: New Directions for the Twenty-First Century. , 1993 .

[9]  M. Ford-Gilboe.  Family strengths, motivation, and resources as predictors of health promotion behavior in single-parent and two-parent families. , 1997, Research in nursing & health.

[10]  L A Riccio-Howe,et al.  Health values, locus of control, and cues to action as predictors of adolescent safety belt use. , 1991, The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine.

[11]  M. Ford-Gilboe,et al.  The Relationships among Mother’s Resilience, Family Health Work, and Mother’s Health-Promoting Lifestyle Practices in Families with Preschool Children , 2002 .

[12]  M. Ford-Gilboe,et al.  Psychometric Testing of the Health Options Scale with Adolescents , 2004 .

[13]  R. King.  Quality of life after stroke. , 1996, Stroke.

[14]  R. Savin-Williams,et al.  Friendship and peer relations. , 1990 .

[15]  R. Turner,et al.  Social support and outcome in teenage pregnancy. , 1990, Journal of health and social behavior.

[16]  D. Unger,et al.  Partner and grandmother contact in black and white teen parent families. , 1992, The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine.

[17]  M. Powers,et al.  Quality of life index: development and psychometric properties , 1985, ANS. Advances in nursing science.

[18]  A. Jonge.  Support for teenage mothers: a qualitative study into the views of women about the support they received as teenage mothers. , 2001 .

[19]  C. Ferrans,et al.  Quality of life after coronary angioplasty. , 1993, Heart & lung : the journal of critical care.

[20]  Donna Clemmens,et al.  Adolescent Motherhood: A Meta-Synthesis of Qualitative Studies , 2003, MCN. The American journal of maternal child nursing.

[21]  V. Seitz,et al.  Four Models of Adolescent Mother-Grandmother Relationships in Black Inner-City Families. , 1991 .

[22]  M. Cochran,et al.  Child Development and Personal Social Networks. , 1979 .

[23]  R. Richardson,et al.  Bittersweet connections: informal social networks as sources of support and interference for adolescent mothers , 1991 .

[24]  P. Giblin,et al.  Effects of social supports on attitudes and behaviors of pregnant adolescents , 1987 .

[25]  R. Blum,et al.  Characteristics of unmarried adolescent mothers: determinants of child rearing versus adoption. , 1990, The American journal of orthopsychiatry.

[26]  G. Elliott,et al.  At the Threshold: The Developing Adolescent , 1990 .

[27]  Gladys Eugenia Canaval,et al.  Depresión postparto, apoyo social y calidad de vida en mujeres de Cali, Colombia , 2000 .

[28]  Margaret McCain,et al.  Reversing the Real Brain Drain: Early Years Study: Final Report , 2000 .

[29]  R. Richardson,et al.  Peer Relationships as a Source of Support for Adolescent Mothers , 1995, Journal of adolescent research.

[30]  K. Kissman,et al.  Single Parent Families , 1992 .

[31]  P. Paul Heppner,et al.  The Problem Solving Inventory , 1988 .

[32]  M. Mendelson,et al.  Measuring friendship quality in late adolescents and young adults: McGill Friendship Questionnaires. , 1999 .

[33]  R. Weiss.  The provisions of social relationships , 1974 .

[34]  V. Rice.  Handbook of stress, coping, and health : implications for nursing research, theory, and practice , 2000 .

[35]  B. Hanna.  Negotiating motherhood: the struggles of teenage mothers. , 2001, Journal of advanced nursing.

[36]  E. Francis-Connolly.  Toward an understanding of mothering: a comparison of two motherhood stages. , 2000, The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association.

[37]  M. Ford-Gilboe.  Dispelling Myths and Creating Opportunity: A Comparison of the Strengths of Single-Parent and Two-Parent Families , 2000, ANS. Advances in nursing science.

[38]  M. Duffy.  Determinants of Health Promotion In Midlife Women , 1988, Nursing research.

[39]  R. Milardo,et al.  Families and Social Networks , 1988 .

[40]  D. Prevention.  Ottawa charter for health promotion. , 1986, Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique.

[41]  M. Powers,et al.  Psychometric assessment of the Quality of Life Index. , 1992, Research in nursing & health.

[42]  Steven R. Asher,et al.  Friendship and Friendship Quality in Middle Childhood: Links with Peer Group Acceptance and Feelings of Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction. , 1993 .

[43]  M. Ford-Gilboe.  Developing Knowledge about Family Health Promotion by Testing the Developmental Model of Health and Nursing , 2002 .

[44]  S. P. Chen,et al.  Perspectives of women whose sons become adolescent fathers. , 1999, MCN. The American journal of maternal child nursing.

[45]  L. Scott,et al.  Caregiving and Care Receiving among a Technologically Dependent Heart Failure Population , 2000, ANS. Advances in nursing science.

[46]  A. Wass.  Promoting health: the primary health care approach , 2000 .

[47]  Hila J. Spear,et al.  Adolescent health behaviors and related factors: a review. , 2001, Public health nursing.

[48]  L. SmithBattle.  Teenage mothers' narratives of self: an examination of risking the future. , 1995, ANS. Advances in nursing science.

[49]  M. W. Riley.  Aging From Birth To Death: Interdisciplinary Perspectives , 1979 .

[50]  J. Arenson,et al.  Strengths and self-perceptions of parenting in adolescent mothers. , 1994, Journal of pediatric nursing.

[51]  The Effects of a Restorative Intervention on Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Capacity to Direct Attention , 2005, Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association.

[52]  C. Ferrans.  Development of a quality of life index for patients with cancer. , 1990, Oncology nursing forum.

[53]  A. Yarcheski,et al.  Social Support and Positive Health Practices in Young Adults , 1998, Clinical nursing research.

[54]  J. Norbeck.  Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire , 1987, Birth defects original article series.

[55]  L. Rew,et al.  Ethnic identity, role integration, quality of life, and depression in Korean-American women. , 1994, Archives of psychiatric nursing.

[56]  R. Hubbard,et al.  Developmental variation in the context of marijuana initiation among adolescents. , 1990, Journal of health and social behavior.

[57]  Ron Coriell,et al.  Doing Unto Others , 1980 .

[58]  K. Kissman,et al.  The Composites of Social Support and Well-Being Among Adolescent Mothers , 1990 .

[59]  Anna Wright,et al.  A League Table of Teenage Births in Rich Nations. Innocenti Report Card. , 2001 .

[60]  K. Daubman,et al.  The Relationship Between Friendship Quality and Self-Esteem in Adolescent Girls and Boys , 2001 .

[61]  L. Van Cleve,et al.  Parenting competence, social support, and self-esteem in teen mothers case managed by public health nurses. , 1998, Public health nursing.

[62]  N. Mauthner.  Postnatal depression: The significance of social contacts between mothers , 1995 .

[63]  A. Yarcheski,et al.  Alternate models of positive health practices in adolescents. , 1997, Nursing research.

[64]  S. Walker,et al.  The Health‐Promoting Lifestyle Profile: Development and Psychometric Characteristics , 1987, Nursing research.

[65]  S. Cobb.  Presidential Address-1976. Social support as a moderator of life stress. , 1976, Psychosomatic medicine.

[66]  D. Buhrmester,et al.  Children's perceptions of the personal relationships in their social networks. , 1985 .

[67]  J. Bloom,et al.  The relationship of social support and health. , 1990, Social science & medicine.

[68]  J. Norbeck,et al.  Sources of social support related to single-parent functioning. , 1982, Research in nursing & health.

[69]  S. Murphy.  Stress, coping, and mental health outcomes following a natural disaster: Bereaved family members and friends compared , 1986 .

[70]  V. Leonard,et al.  Adolescent mothers four years later: narratives of the self and visions of the future. , 1998, ANS. Advances in nursing science.

[71]  M S Thompson,et al.  The impact of formal, informal, and societal support networks on the psychological well-being of black adolescent mothers. , 1992, Social work.

[72]  K. Motamedi.  The quality of American life , 1976 .

[73]  B. Qureshi.  Quality of Life in Health Promotion and Rehabilitation , 1997 .

[74]  P. Franks,et al.  Social relationships and health: the relative roles of family functioning and social support. , 1992, Social science & medicine.

[75]  N. Zdanowicz,et al.  Adolescent health , 2004, The Lancet.

[76]  F. Furstenberg.  As the pendulum swings: teenage childbearing and social concern. , 1991 .