Assessment of Maternal Readiness for Childbirth and Childrearing among Adolescent Mothers in Ghana

Background: Adolescent pregnancy is a public health problem of concern in developed, developing and underdeveloped countries. Trends in developing and underdeveloped countries are higher and account for most adverse pregnancy outcomes. Adolescence is a period of transition between childhood and adulthood. The burden of coping with changes with this transition and at the same time preparing for childbirth puts pregnant adolescent girls on edge. Childbirth and childrearing are critical moments that require support and specialized skills to nurture healthy infants. Aim: This study aims to assess the readiness of adolescent expectant mothers towards childbirth and childrearing in the Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abirem (KEEA) district of the central region of Ghana. Methods: This study utilized the total population sampling technique to collect data from three sites that offer specialized adolescent antenatal services within the KEEA district of the central region of Ghana. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0 and results presented as descriptive statistics. Results: This study assessed maternal readiness for childbirth and childrearing among 98 pregnant adolescent girls. The study was dominated by late adolescents who made up 86.7% of study participants. Regarding readiness for childrearing, the majority (74.5%) said they could not independently cater for their children and will require some support. The majority (52.0%) have had some form of counseling with a greater number (41.2%) coming from parents. Regarding readiness to embrace childbirth, the majority (82.4%) of respondents said they had companions who were willing to support them during childbirth. The majority (57.1%) of respondents have packed their delivery items although only 13.3% of them knew their expected dates of delivery. About 37.8% of respondents had knowledge of the possibility of having blood transfusion during delivery. Conclusion: Adolescent pregnancy is pervasive, and adolescent mothers require optimal support to ensure safe motherhood. Health promotion activities must be streamlined to meet their specific needs. Their significant others must actively be involved in their perinatal counseling to enhance compliance with health and wellbeing programs.

Challenges in Work-Family Balance and Support Needs of Japanese Parents with Nursery School-Aged Children

We aimed to identify the challenges parents face raising preschool-aged children when trying to maintain a good work-family balance. We also highlight how public health nurses can support the community in this regard. Seven Japanese parents volunteered to participate, and individual in-depth interviews were conducted from May to October 2021. We analyzed the recorded interview data using qualitative descriptive methods. Three main themes concerning work-family balance challenges were extracted: 1) conflicts between parents’ childcare and work roles, 2) issues related to institutions and social systems, and 3) a lack of informal support. Factors contributing to the difficulties were a lack of time to spend with their children;an imbalance in the division of housework and childcare roles between married couples;the employment environment in Japan that makes it difficult to pursue a career while raising children;a lack of childcare services, including childcare for sick children;inadequate consultation systems;and an aging grandparents’ generation owing to late marriages. To solve this problem, we suggest that in addition to establishing a reliable system for providing childcare, local public health nurses should work with childcare workers to create an environment in which parents feel comfortable discussing work-family balance, considering the time constraints of parents during the childrearing period, and use nursery schools as a place for parent-child support.