Family stress, perception of pregnancy, and age of first menarche among pregnant adolescents.

Family-of-origin stress, age of first menarche, and the perception of pregnancy as a life event were examined in 97 pregnant adolescents ages 13 to 18. This study investigated whether family-of-origin stress levels were significantly related to the pregnant adolescent's perception of her pregnancy as a life event. The study also examined whether age of first menarche was related to the subject's level of family stress. Family stress levels were assessed through the Adolescent-Family Inventory of Life-Events and Changes (A-FILE) developed by McCubbin & Thompson (1987). Perception of pregnancy as a life event was measured on a Likert scale developed by the researcher. Age of first menarche was obtained via self-report. Results indicated high levels of family stress among subjects with only a moderate level of impact or stress experienced from the pregnancy. As a group, the subjects experienced first menarche between 12 to 13 years of age, which is the average age supported by other studies within the United States.