{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]],"date-time":"2026-06-11T14:39:27Z","timestamp":1781188767558,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,3,2]],"date-time":"2022-03-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1646179200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Eunice kennedy shriver national institute of child health and development","award":["R21HD073610"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["R21HD073610"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000025","name":"National Institute of Mental Health","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["K01MH099969"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["K01MH099969"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000025","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"National Institute for Drug Abuse","award":["T32 DA023356"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["T32 DA023356"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Adolescents"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: In the U.S., research to identify the risk factors explaining high rates of adolescent pregnancy disproportionately affecting racial\/ethnic minorities, including Latinas, have largely focused on social and cultural factors that influence girls\u2019 pregnancy intentions and decisions regarding the use of contraception, as well as girls\u2019 sexual and reproductive decision-making control in relationships. However, economic factors may play a role in increasing girls\u2019 risk for adolescent pregnancy as well. Disproportionately high rates of adolescent pregnancy occur in areas of concentrated poverty, with higher rates among ethnic minorities. This qualitative study used a descriptive, exploratory design with a content analysis approach (1) to describe economic vulnerability in girls\u2019 lives and (2) to identify potential ways in which economic vulnerability may influence risk factors for adolescent pregnancy among adolescent females at high risk for pregnancy recruited from a health clinic by the U.S.\u2013Mexico border in California. Methods: Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted among 21 girls reporting risk factors for pregnancy (including a previous pregnancy, experiences of dating violence, or having ever been diagnosed with an STI) and who were seeking sexual\/reproductive health services at a clinic near the U.S.\u2013Mexico border in California. Participants were asked about their family life, economic stressors, characteristics of intimate partner relationships, and future education\/career aspirations. Interviews were analyzed using content analysis to identify common themes related to economic vulnerability and risk for pregnancy. Results: Female participants were 17 years of age on average, most (72%) were Latina, and over half (60%) were in a relationship. Participants reported a high level of economic vulnerability at home, which they felt compromised their welfare, negatively affected expectations for future educational goals, and promoted financial dependence for basic needs (e.g., food) on male partners. The latter often compromised girls\u2019 decision-making control with relationship partners over contraceptive use and pregnancy timing. Conclusions: Study findings suggest that economic vulnerability: (a) supports economic reliance on male partners, with implications for male partner control over pregnancy decisions and (b) hinders girls\u2019 expectations for future educational opportunities, which may reduce girls\u2019 prioritization to delay pregnancy.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/adolescents2010010","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,3,2]],"date-time":"2022-03-02T22:53:25Z","timestamp":1646261605000},"page":"101-112","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Economic Vulnerability among Girls at Risk for Adolescent Pregnancy: Qualitative Findings among a Clinic Sample of Girls Residing in the U.S.\u2013Mexico Border Region"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"2","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9409-5965","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elizabeth","family":"Reed","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA"},{"name":"Center on Gender Equity and Health, Division of Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA"},{"name":"Institute for Behavioral and Community Health, San Diego State University Research Foundation, San Diego, CA 92123, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marissa","family":"Salazar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA"},{"name":"Center on Gender Equity and Health, Division of Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alma I.","family":"Behar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA"},{"name":"Center on Gender Equity and Health, Division of Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA"},{"name":"Institute for Behavioral and Community Health, San Diego State University Research Foundation, San Diego, CA 92123, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5523-7767","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Argentina E.","family":"Servin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center on Gender Equity and Health, Division of Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Guadalupe X.","family":"Ayala","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA"},{"name":"Institute for Behavioral and Community Health, San Diego State University Research Foundation, San Diego, CA 92123, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jay G.","family":"Silverman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center on Gender Equity and Health, Division of Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Melanie L. A.","family":"Rusch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center on Gender Equity and Health, Division of Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mari L.","family":"Zuniga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Social Work, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anita","family":"Raj","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center on Gender Equity and Health, Division of Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,3,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"559","DOI":"10.1177\/1090198119831755","article-title":"The Relationship between School Dropout and Pregnancy among Adolescent Girls and Young Women in South Africa: A HPTN 068 Analysis","volume":"46","author":"Stoner","year":"2019","journal-title":"Health Educ. 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