Teenage childbearing and school dropout in a sample of 18,791 single mothers in Cameroon

Background Adolescent childbearing increases the risk of adverse health and social consequences including school dropout (SDO). However, it remains unclear why some teenage mothers drop out of school and others do not, especially in sub-Saharan Africa settings. We aimed to investigate the background and behavioral characteristics of single mothers, associated with school dropout in a sample of 18,791 Cameroonian girls, who had their first child during adolescence. Methods We used data from a national registry of single mothers, collected during the years 2005–2008 and 2010–2011. Both bivariate analysis and logistic binary regression models were used to explore the relationship between adolescence motherhood and SDO controlling for a range of socio-economic, family, sexual and health seeking behavior characteristics. Results Among the 18,791 single mothers, 41.6% had dropped out of school because of pregnancy. The multivariable regression model showed that SDO was more common in those who were evicted from their parental home (aOR: 1.85; 95% CI: 1.69–2.04), those who declared having other single mothers in their family (aOR: 1.16; 95% CI 1.08–1.25) and in mothers who had their first child before 15. Using modern contraceptive methods, having declared no sexual partner during the last year and having less than 2 children were associated with a reduced likelihood of school dropout. Conclusions Strong social support is essential to ensure school continuity in this vulnerable population. Dropping out of school may put the teenage mother more at risk of unsafe health behaviour and new pregnancies.

Maternal advanced age, single parenthood, and ART increase the risk of child morbidity up to five years of age

Background Advanced maternal age, single status and use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) are increasing in mothers in high-income countries, and all are known risk factors for negative obstetric outcomes. Less is known about their long-term consequences for childhood morbidity. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate morbidity up to five years of age, in the children of older, single, and/or ART-treated mothers. Methods A cross-sectional using Swedish registers was performed comprising 23 772 children. The prevalence of diagnosis and the number of hospital visits for specialist care, were compared and analyzed in relation to maternal age at childbirth, maternal civil status, and mode of conception. The odds ratio for specialized care within each ICD-chapter were estimated using single and multiple logistic regression. Results Children born to single mothers and children conceived using ART had significantly more outpatient visits for specialist care and significantly more diagnoses compared to children with married/cohabiting mothers, and spontaneously conceived children. Children born to mothers of advanced maternal age (≥40) had fewer in- and outpatient visits. However, they were significantly more often diagnosed within ICD-chapters XVI, XVII i.e., they experienced more morbidity in the neonatal period. Conclusion The results indicate that children born to single mothers and children of ART-treated mothers have a higher morbidity and consume more specialist care than children of married/cohabiting and spontaneously pregnant mothers. We conclude that the use of ART, maternal single status and advanced maternal age are risk factors of importance to consider in pediatric care and when counseling women who are considering ART treatment.

My Home is my Castle? The Role of Living Arrangements on Experiencing the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence From Germany

During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, social restrictions and social distancing policies forced large parts of social life to take place within the household. However, comparatively little is known about how private living situations shaped individuals experiences of this crisis. To investigate this issue, we analyze how experiences and concerns vary across living arrangements along two dimensions that may be associated with social disadvantage: loneliness and care. In doing so, we employ quantitative text analysis on open-ended questions from survey data on a sample of 1,073 individuals living in Germany. We focus our analyses on four different household structures: living alone, shared living without children, living with a partner and children, and single parents. We find that single parents (who are primarily single mothers) are at high risk of experiencing care-related worries, particularly regarding their financial situation, while individuals living alone are most likely to report feelings of loneliness. Those individuals living in shared houses, with or without children, had the lowest risk of experiencing both loneliness and care-related worries. These findings illustrate that the living situation at home substantially impacts how individuals experienced and coped with the pandemic situation during the first wave of the pandemic.

Family policies’ long-term effects on poverty: a comparative analysis of single and partnered mothers

This study investigates whether generous family policies at the transition to parenthood reduce single and partnered mothers’ economic disadvantages later in the life course. Previous research usually focused on the immediate effects of family policies and disregards potential longer-term effects. In this study, we suggest taking a life-course perspective to study the relationships between family policy and mothers’ poverty risks. We empirically investigate how investment in child benefits, childcare services and parental leave measures at the transition to parenthood are associated with poverty outcomes at later life stages and whether these associations hold over time. We draw on pooled EU-SILC data, and an original policy dataset based on OECD expenditure data for child benefits, childcare and parental leave from 1994 to 2015. We find that mothers’ observed increase in poverty over time is slower in countries with high levels of spending for childcare at the transition to parenthood than in lower spending countries. The gap between partnered and single mothers was also diminishing in contexts of high childcare expenditure. For the other two policies, we did not find these links. These results do lend support to the claim that childcare is a prime example of a social investment policy with returns later in the life course and represents a life-course policy that seems to be able to disrupt economic path dependencies. The results for the other two policies suggest, however, a limited potential of family policy spending at transition to parenthood to reduce the poverty gap between partnered and single mothers over the course of life.

African American Single Mothers Thriving Despite Society's Obstacles

There are myriad reasons why one may be a single mother. From the woman who chose to pursue a career first and in vitro fertilization at an older age, the widow, a divorcee, one who chose to adopt a child alone, someone serving as a foster parent due to their inability to conceive, to the teenage mother. Regardless of the circumstance, society often places a stigma on a single mother without knowing her full story. This is especially true for African American single mothers. This chapter will explore anecdotal experiences of various African American single mothers. It will tap into the circumstances of how the journey began and how these single mothers have navigated their circumstances to defy the odds to attain success.

Pengalaman komunikasi ibu tunggal di masa pandemi covid-19

It's not easy being a mother and a father at the same time, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study aims to look at the communication experience of single mothers during the Covid-19 pandemic, this research uses a phenomenological qualitative method approach. The results of the research are that during the Covid-19 pandemic, many parents have difficulty communicating in parenting where two parents also carry out the dual function of being parents as well as being teachers for the benefit of children who also carry out learning activities at home, single mothers experience negative experiences at the same time. positive experience when carrying out the function of being both a mother and a father at the same time. Negative experiences are felt when mothers have to work for a living and become teachers for children who do learning activities at home, mothers find it difficult to communicate with children asking for educational functions usually carried out by teachers at school. A positive experience was felt by mothers during the Covid-19 pandemic when they were able to share difficulties and children could understand the condition of mothers who had to carry out the role of a single mother. This research is important to do in order to provide understanding to policy makers to consider the psychological condition of the family when they have to follow government policies to stay at home.

A Meta-Analysis on the Effectiveness of Support Programs for Korean Single Mothers

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Coping stress toward post-death of a couple: A qualitative study in single mothers

The study aimed to figure out the picture of a couple’s post-death stress and coping strategies used by working single mothers. The research approach uses qualitative descriptive with case study design. Characteristics of single mother participants, working and having children. Data were obtained through interviews of participants concerned accompanied by significant other interviews. The data analysis used in this study is a thematic data analysis technique. The results showed the symptoms of stress experienced by participants in increased blood pressure, frequent delays in work, irritability, dietary changes, and experiencing sleep disorders. Each participant’s stress was the shrinkage of economic, social, and psychological resources. Participants’ stress coping strategies include; planful problem solving, confrontative, seeking social support, distance, escape/avoidance, positive reappraisal, self-control, and accepting responsibility.