Transgenerational aspects of teenage pregnancy from the perspective of mothers and daughters living in Parobé and Taquara (RS, Brazil)

Abstract

The transgenerational transmission constitutes in relevant aspects for understanding families during a time period and identifying the influences transmitted through generations. These may perpetuate or change behavior and nowadays they are strongly noticed in the phenomenon of teenage pregnancy. This study is the result of a survey that aims to investigate transgenerational aspects of teenage pregnancy in young people, from twelve to nineteen years old, and their mothers, with the criterion that both have had their first pregnancies during adolescence. We performed a semistructured interview with three pairs of mothers and daughters, in the municipal districts of Parobé and Taquara (RS, Brazil). Later, the collected content was analyzed according to Bardin’s analysis system (1977). The results of this research showed that the transgenerational aspects were found in the pregnancy of these adolescent girls and their mothers, through the models and repetitive behavior both experienced and also by their search for different experiences. This study showed that family and partner support is an important foundation for the growth of these adolescent girls and their children. This support has passed over generations and it has shown itself in various ways. The study shows that the respondents have a positive and optimistic perception about their condition and their future, indicating that pregnancy has changed the way they perceive the world and themselves.

Key words: adolescence, pregnancy, transgeneration.