Unterschiede in der Inanspruchnahme von Gesundheits- und Förderangeboten zwischen adoleszenten und erwachsenen Müttern und ihren Kindern

Adolescent mothers and their children represent a high-risk group for unfavorable developmental outcomes. There are early health and support services for this group. The aim of the current study was to investigate and compare the use of these interventions by adolescent mother-child dyads compared to adult mothers and their children. N=99 mothers (age of children: 5.3±1.0 months) were interviewed regarding early interventions, which were sorted into three groups ("interaction interventions", "child development" and "maternal support interventions") and pooled according to costs. Group differences in utilization and, exploratively, differences in allocation paths between adolescent and adult mothers were investigated. "Interaction interventions" were significantly more frequently used by adolescent mothers (U: 605.50, p<0.001). Interventions concerning "child development" (U: 633.50, p<0.001) and "maternal support" (U: 477.50, p<0.001) and interventions to be paid for (U: 582.00, p<0.001) by adult mothers. Social contacts (U: 817.00, p=0.003) and general practitioners (GP)/gynecologists (U: 879.00, p = 0.054) directed the adult mothers significantly more often to interventions, whereas adolescent mothers significantly more frequently were directed to other professional contacts (U: 877.50, p=0.01) and the youth welfare service (U: 962.50, p=0.021) as intermediaries. Early interventions for child and maternal health and interventions with costs were used significantly less frequently by adolescent mothers. Healthcare professionals such as GPs, gynecologists and pediatricians, should expand their counselling services on health interventions and support services in the high-risk group of adolescent mothers.