Young Women’s Experiences of Expected Health Behaviors During Pregnancy: The Importance of Emotional Support

Abstract

Young women often have access to fewer resources to make expected behavior changes during pregnancy. This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of young pregnant and parenting women regarding behavioral expectations and behavior change during pregnancy. Nine women (aged 15 to 24) participated in individual semistructured photo-elicitation interviews and data was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The findings of this study suggest that although these young women received informational support throughout their pregnancies, there is a need to integrate emotional support into prenatal care for young pregnant women to facilitate their experience as one of empowerment rather than oppression.