From women to women: social support network for pregnant adolescents

Abstract

Aim: to understand the social representations of pregnant adolescents about their social support network. Method: it is a qualitative descriptive study. The research scenario were seven Basic Health Units of the urban zone of a municipality in the southwest of Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Twenty-five pregnant adolescents in the third trimester of pregnancy, who made prenatal care, were the subjects of the study. The data collection happened from January to June 2016. A Minimum Relationship Map and a semi-structured interview were used as data collection technique. The data passed through the thematic content analysis. Results: the most significant social representation of support to the pregnant women was the maternal figure, followed by other female figures such as nurses, friends, sister-in-law, sisters, aunts and grandmothers. Conclusion: the support was offered predominantly by women. It is anchored in the attention and affection received by the pregnant women. Low representation of the male figure in the adolescent’s gestation was perceived.