Factors associated with subsequent childbearing among young unwed mothers

Previous studies have documented associations between self-esteem, locus of control, a number of demographic and family background variables, and premarital childbearing. The present study, a secondary analysis of longitudinal data, examines these variables, and the number of children born to young mothers over a 14 year period (1979-1993). The sample consists of 914 never-married young women who were between the ages of 14 and 22 when first interviewed in 1979. Self-esteem levels did not differ between young women who had no children, those who had 1 child, and those who had 3 or more children. Also, there were no significant differences found in the locus of control orientation for these 3 groups. Of the demographic and family background variables, age at first birth, mother’s education, father’s education, educational goals, age at first sex, socioeconomic status (SES), and father/stepfather in household were found to be significantly different for the 3 groups. No significant differences were found in the frequency of religious attendance. It was concluded that demographic variables concerning a young womans’ context, aspirations, and her sexual history are all significant determinants of the number of children born to the young mothers, while her psychological characteristics are not.