In 1992 and 1995, data were collected from 29 Navajo, reservation-residing teenage mothers. In 2007, follow-up data from 69% (n = 20) of the original sample were collected. Intensive interviews, grounded in ecological systems theory (U. Bronfenbrenner, 1989), allowed for contextual examination of the women's developmental trajectories. Significant…

Reports on an investigation that used the Process Model of Parenting Competence to explore factors posited as predicting parenting competence among adult and adolescent populations. Results revealed expected associations, suggesting that the variables suggested by the model, such as maternal competence, are congruent with several hypotheses of…

This study examined teenage parenting among Native Americans, focusing on the support received from grandmothers. The sample was comprised of 15 subjects living on a Navajo reservation: 8 adolescent mothers between 16 to 19 years--most with one child and enrolled either in high school or in an alternative education program; and seven women…

This study explored the meaning of motherhood among Navajo teenagers, their mothers, and community informants living in a small, rural town on a Navajo Reservation. Participating were 8 Navajo teenage mothers ranging from 16 to 19 years, 7 grandmothers (mothers of the teens) who ranged from 41 to 57 years, and 6 community informants: two teachers,…

A study examined attitudes towards teenage motherhood among 25 Navajo reservation residents, including 8 teenage mothers, their mothers, and 4 teenage fathers. Findings indicate that teenage parenting was discouraged despite the matrilineal nature of Navajo society, men were frequently absent from family life, single maternity was preferable to…