Parental Relationship and Parental Influence on Teenage Pregnancy Among Adolescent Mothers in Polillo, Quezon

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the level of parental relationship among adolescent mothers in 5 different domains: doing things together, communication, understanding, love and respect and conflict and its correlation to early pregnancy. Degree of parental influence was also determined and its correlation to parental relationship and to the occurence of early pregnancy. The respondents were the 134 adolescent mothers aged 13-19 years old of Polillo, Quezon, Philippines, chosen purposively based on the needed qualifications. Using descriptive method, the level of parental relationship was obtained by using a modified PRCSS (Parent-child relationship schema scale) while for the degree of parental influence a self-developed questionnaire was utilized. It was measurable by 5 point Likert scale, (5) often - (1) never, and qualitatively interpreted as poor, fair and good parental relationship whereas Parental influence as (5) strongly agree to (1) strongly disagree and interpreted as no parental influence at all, weak and strong parental influence. It was revealed that parental influence on engaging behavior that leads adolescent mothers of Polillo, Quezon to teenage pregnancy is stronger among older adolescents living in rural barangays and whose sexual awareness comes from friends/peers, TV, and movies. It found out that the adolescent mothers of Polillo, Quezon have a good relationship with their parents but have a fair relationship in terms of conflicting behaviors. Using spearman rank, the correlation between the parental relationship and parental influence on engaging behavior revealed that the better the parental relationship, the weaker the parental influence on engaging behavior to adolescent pregnancy. Conversely, this research concluded that the stronger the conflict in parent-child relationship, the stronger parental influence on engaging behavior to adolescent pregnancy may happen. The researcher proposes that stricter parental guidance advisory to movies and TV shows should be implemented. This study also proposed to have seminars and motivational lectures on health issues and healthy parent-child relationship to all parents and children of 20 barangays of Polillo, Quezon.