Perceptions of injury prevention and familial adjustment among mothers of teen parents

•Three focus groups were conducted with 21 mothers of teen parents.•Family dynamics, injury prevention beliefs, and prevention practices were explored.•Many commonly recommended injury prevention practices were omitted by participants.•Education could alleviate barriers to injury prevention described by participants.•Multigenerational programs are needed to improve the safety and well-being of children.

IntroductionInjury is a leading cause of death for infants and children. Teen mothering has been shown to put children at increased risk of injury. The mothers of teen parents often play a predominant role in the lives and caregiving of the children born to their children.MethodThis article presents the findings of three focus groups conducted with 21 mothers of teen parents. Grounded theory methodology was used to explore family dynamics and how they relate to injury prevention beliefs and practices regarding infants and children.ResultsOur findings revealed the difficulty mothers of teen parents and the teens themselves have in adjusting to the knowledge of the pregnancy. Unique barriers to injury prevention were also uncovered.ConclusionsOur findings provide evidence for the need of a multigenerational approach to programs aimed at improving the safety and well-being of children in this context.