Exploring Healthcare Engagement Among Young Mothers and Their Children in Southern New Jersey: A Descriptive Survey Study.

Background and Aims: Young mothers and their children are at risk for negative health outcomes, including infant and maternal mortality, and lower vaccination, breastfeeding, and medical visit attendance rates. However, little is known about young mothers' engagement and experiences with healthcare. In this exploratory quantitative study, we assessed young mothers' engagement, satisfaction, and communication experiences with healthcare providers and explored sociodemographic differences to identify ways providers and healthcare systems can improve care for young mothers and their families. Methods: We surveyed 250 young mothers ages 15-25 in southern New Jersey from 2019 to 2022. We conducted a descriptive analysis of participant demographics, healthcare visit attendance, patient satisfaction, and communication with providers in obstetrics/gynecology (OB/GYN) and pediatrics care. We used Results: Young mothers in our sample were 22 years old and had one child, on average. We found that young mothers are engaging with the healthcare system, with an average of four visits each to pediatric and OB/GYN healthcare providers in the past year. Satisfaction with care was moderately high for OB/GYN ( Conclusions: Our study provides a snapshot of young mothers' healthcare engagement and experiences in OB/GYN and pediatric care, which has been missing from the literature. We interpret our results from an intersectional, minority stress theory-informed lens, focusing on recommendations for future research and changes that systems and providers can make to better serve young mothers and their families.