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The aim of this dissertation is to contribute to the understanding of Thai teenage parents’ experiences of becoming a parent as well as to examine healthcare providers’ reflections on their experiences of caring for teenage parents.

The findings are based on three studies using mixed methods and resulting in four papers. The empirical data were collected in western Thailand between 2013 and 2015, in a province with a high incidence of teenage pregnancy. Paper I: Empirical data were based on three self-reported validated questionnaires. The sample consisted of 70 teenage and 70 adult fathers. Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U-test, and Chi-square test were used for the analysis. Papers II and III: A heterogeneous group of 25 teenage couples (n=50) were interviewed before and after the birth of their first child, using grounded theory methodology. Paper IV: Four focus-group discussions were conducted with 21 healthcare providers; latent content analysis was used for analysis.

Teenage fathers scored lower than adult fathers on scales measuring the father’s sense of competence, the father’s childrearing behavior, and the father-child relationship (paper I). The teenage mothers reported how they struggled with physical and social changes, for example bodily changes, breastfeeding and having to leave school, while the teenage fathers gave examples of coping with their future responsibility by working hard to save money for future family needs (paper III). The teenagers’ own parents were an important source of support all the way from pregnancy to childrearing, and their provision of childcare, advice, and instructions helped the teenage parents to cope with their duties. Most of the teenage parents reproduced traditional gender roles by being a caring mother or a breadwinning father (papers II–III). The healthcare providers were concerned about the young parents, viewed themselves as providing comprehensive care, and suggested access to reproductive health care and improved sex education as ways to improve quality (paper IV).

The young couples’ stories describe how they struggled and coped with life changes when becoming unintentionally pregnant, accepting their parenthood, and finally becoming parents. A supportive family played a vital role in the transition to parenthood.

Health promotion efforts for this particular group should be undertaken continuously to improve the quality of care for teenage parents and to promote the infants’ well-being and future development.

Keywords: childrearing, fatherhood, focus-group discussions, grounded theory, healthcare providers, teenage fathers, teenage parents, Thai teenagers

Objective to gain a deeper understanding of Thai teenage parents’ perspectives, experiences and reasoning about becoming and being a teenage parent from a gender perspective. Design an exploratory design using grounded theory methodology. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. An interview guide was developed, a pilot study was undertaken, and interviews were performed on two different occasions: once during the second trimester of pregnancy and again when the infant was 5–6 months old. Setting a province in the western part of Thailand. Participants the selection of a heterogeneous group of teenage parents-to-be continued until saturation was reached, as describe by Glaser and Strauss (1967), in all n=50. Inclusion criteria for participants were that they were heterosexual couples, under 20 years of age, cohabiting, and expecting their first child. Findings the core category ‘struggling with motherhood and coping with fatherhood’ comprises descriptions of the process from when the teenagers first learned about the pregnancy until the child was six months old. The teenagers had failed to use contraceptives which led to an unintended parenthood. Their parenthood became a turning point as the teenagers started to change their behaviours and lifestyle during pregnancy, and adapted their relationships to partner and family. Family commitments was a facilitator, through support given by their families. Finally, becoming a parent describes ways of dealing with the parental role, by engaging in parental activities and reestablishing goals in life. Most of the teenage parents reproduced traditional gender roles by being a caring mother or a breadwinning father respectively. Key conclusions ‘struggling with motherhood and coping with fatherhood’ referred to the parents’ stories about how they struggled and coped with life changes and their parental role when they became unintentionally pregnant, accepted their parenting, and finally became parents. After becoming parents, the main concerns of most of the teenage parents were being a caring mother and a breadwinning father. Implications for practice this study contributes a deeper understanding of Thai teenage parents’ experiences of becoming and being a parent and might improve health care professionals’ adaptation of care for teentranatanage parents and inspire them to tailor their care specifically to teenager's needs from early pregnancy to parenthood.