Social Support During Adolescent Pregnancy: a Comparison of Three Ethnic Groups

This study compared similarities and differences in social support among black, Hispanic, and white pregnant adolescents and determined if support related to prenatal attachment. Participants (n = 161) completed Norbeck's Social Support Questionnaire (NSSQ), the Maternal Fetal-Attachment Scale and a background questionnaire. Black pregnant adolescents were found to have significantly lower total functional support scores (emotional and tangible support) than whites. A pattern of performance between ethnic groups was observed for all NSSQ social support variables, with whites obtaining the highest scores, followed by Hispanics and blacks. Although black adolescents identified the least number of individuals in their social network, the proportion of support provided by family was greatest for this ethnic group. The relationship between social support and prenatal attachment was not found to be significant.