Teenage motherhood and family history of teenage motherhood

Leanne Keefe Haliburn, West Thames College and Cynthia Haliburn and Ron Keefe, Hartington Statistics and Data Management

(Project no. 30164)

Our objective is to investigate whether having a mother or older sister who were teenage mothers makes it more likely for girls to be teenage mothers themselves.

Using an LS study population of females LS members aged 9-13 years in 1981 or 1991 (followed through 1991, 2001 and 2011, we will investigate age at first pregnancy between:

a) LS members and their mothers (i.e. looking back a generation)

b) LS members and their daughters (i.e. looking forward a generation)

c) LS members and their older sisters (i.e. looking within a generation)

additionally investigating other factors such as ethnicity and parental social class.

Tests for Association will be performed on the data, where appropriate.

This research project will form part of a BTEC Level 3 in Health and Social Care: Unit 22 Research Methodology.

This unit aims to develop learners' understanding of the purpose of research in the health and social care sectors and the implications and ethical issues relating to this research. Learners will be able to explore different research methodologies, enable them to plan and conduct their own research relating to a health or social care issue and evaluate the success of the outcomes.