Prenatal attachment levels of adolescent pregnant women and affecting factors

This descriptive, cross-sectional study, conducted between November 2022 and September 2023, aimed to determine the level of prenatal attachment among adolescent pregnant women and identify the factors influencing this attachment. The study population comprised adolescent women who attended prenatal follow-up visits at the Seyhan State Hospital Marsa Gynecology and Obstetrics and Diseases Additional Service Building of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Turkey during the specified period. A total of 188 adolescent pregnant women who attended the gynecology and obstetrics clinics for antenatal follow-up participated in the study. Participants were at or under the age of 19, had passed the 20th week of pregnancy and volunteered to participate. Data were collected the ''Introductory Information Form'' and the ''Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI)'' through face-to-face interviews. Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U" test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, Bonferroni test were used in the analysis of the data. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. The mean total score of pregnant adolescents attachment level, as measured by the Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI), was found to be 60,16±8,55. When the Prenatal Attachment Inventory scores of pregnant adolescents were compared according to their descriptive and obstetric characteristics, it was found that there was a statistically significant difference between the pregnant women's age, their own and their spouse's education level, their spouse's employment status, place of residence, income level, family type, age at marriage, desire for pregnancy, bond with their own mother and spouse, support from their family and spouse, and the feeling they experienced when learning about the pregnancy and the PAI total score average (p<0.05). In this study, it was found that adolescent pregnant women exhibit positive level of prenatal attachment. Furthermore, the research revealed that a multitude of psychosocial and ıntroductory factors influence prenatal attachment. Keywords: Prenatal attachment, adolescent pregnancy, nursing