Self-Efficacy Perception at Birth: A Comparative Study of Adolescent and Adult

Background: Adolescent pregnancy can cause serious problems in terms of the mother, baby and social aspects. There are a limited number of studies worldwide examining the self-efficacy level of adolescent pregnant women in labour. This study was conducted for the purpose of determining and comparing the self-efficacy at birth of adolescent pregnant and adult pregnant.

Materials and Methods:The research had a descriptive cross-sectional design. The study sample consisted of a total of 292 pregnant women, 73 pregnant teenagers and 219 adult pregnant women, who enrolled in a state hospital in Turkey. The study data were collected by the researcher using the Pregnancy Presentation Form and the Turkish version of the Short Form of Childbirth of Self-Efficacy Inventory. The aim of the study was to determine and compare the self-efficacy in childbirth of adolescent women and pregnant adults. Considering the definition of self-efficacy in childbirth as "confidence in the woman's ability to deal with birth". And assuming that there are two types of expectations that influence the behavior of childbirth: the expectation on the result and the expectation on the effectiveness. In this way, a very clear analysis was carried out on the concepts treated in the text. What they understood about pregnancy in adolescence and adulthood was also defined, according to the World Health Organization; teenage pregnancy is defined as pregnancy in girls aged 10 to 19 years. The average age of adult pregnant women was 27.17 years. The entire methodology was rigorously detailed, as well as the location of the research and the subjects. This research was approved by a research ethics committee.

Results: The average scores of the Turkish Version of the Childbirth of Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form calculated for adolescent pregnant as 237.84±34.87, and 257.53±30.29 for adult pregnant. The average scores of “Outcome Expectancies” calculated for adolescent pregnant as 132.89±16.41, and 142.59±13.58 for adult pregnant. The average scores of “Efficacy Expectancies” calculated for adolescent pregnant as 104.95±23.44, and 114.94±23.70 for adult pregnant.

Conclusion: Asignificant difference was found between the Childbirth of Self-Efficacy Inventory total and subscale scores of adolescents and adult pregnancies. Being adult, living in a large family, multiparity, and social support increased self-efficacy at birth.

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