FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH PRENATAL CARE IN ADOLESCENTS

AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Introduction: Adolescent pregnancy remains a significant global public health challenge, particularly in developing countries, where young women face social, economic, and health disadvantages. Objective: To analyze the scientific literature to identify factors associated with adherence to prenatal care during adolescent pregnancy. Method: An integrative literature review following PRISMA guidelines. The search was conducted using controlled and combined descriptors in the PubMed, SciELO, Dialnet, and ScienceDirect databases. Original articles, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses published between 2020 and 2025 in English, Spanish, and Portuguese were included. The analysis was narrative and comparative in nature. Results: Thirty articles were analyzed. The results showed that adherence to prenatal care in adolescent pregnancies depends on family support, access to services, and maternal education, factors that can facilitate high adherence (65%) by overcoming economic and logistical barriers. Personal, family, and sociocultural factors such as poverty, rural machismo, and low knowledge lead to late initiation (38%) and low coverage (35%-57%), increasing prematurity and perinatal complications. Risks such as stigma, rurality, and referrals limit access, while protective factors such as counseling, respectful care, and digital tools increase the number of ≥ 4 visits (47%-84%). Conclusion: Adherence to prenatal care in adolescent pregnancies depends on multiple factors, such as family support, access to services, and maternal education, which counteract economic and logistical barriers to promoting timely care. Personal, family, and sociocultural factors, such as poverty, machismo, and low knowledge, generate risks, while counseling and respectful care act as protective factors. Inequalities are evident in vulnerable populations, such as Ecuadorian and indigenous women, who have low coverage of prenatal care despite interventions.