Digital and Hybrid Social Support for Adolescent and Young Mothers: A Scoping Review of Family Engagement, Accessibility, Cultural Adaptation, and Outcomes
Year: 2026
Type: review
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: Adolescent and young motherhood, affecting adolescents and young adults aged 10 to 24 years, remains a significant global public health challenge, with approximately 21 million pregnancies occurring annually among adolescents in developing regions. Digital and hybrid social support interventions have emerged as promising modalities to address accessibility barriers faced by young mothers, but this evidence base has not previously been mapped with integrated attention to family engagement, accessibility, cultural adaptation, and outcomes. This scoping review systematically maps the existing evidence on digital and hybrid social support interventions for adolescent and young mothers. A scoping review was conducted following the Arksey and O'Malley framework and Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and reported according to PRISMA-ScR. Systematic searches of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science were complemented by citation checking. The PCC framework was applied: population (pregnant or parenting adolescents and young adults aged 10 to 24 years), concept (digital or hybrid social support interventions), and context (any setting). From 325 database records, 283 unique records were screened and 29 full texts assessed, of which 12 publications were included; two further publications identified through citation checking yielded a total of 14 publications describing 10 unique study or intervention programs across eight countries. Nine publications (64.3%) were from high-income countries. Six publications reported interventional evaluations, including one pilot randomized controlled trial, and eight reported formative or observational studies. Family members were directly engaged as intervention participants or co-designers in only one study. Cultural adaptation was described in six publications, most commonly through participatory development with local end users. Acceptability and engagement were generally high; health knowledge and service engagement improved in the Dominican Republic program; any breastfeeding at five weeks was higher in the pilot trial intervention group; findings for perceived social support were largely null; and mental health evidence remains preliminary. The evidence base is heterogeneous, dominated by qualitative and formative work, and underrepresents low- and middle-income countries, including Southeast Asia. Robust effectiveness evidence remains limited. Future research should prioritize adequately powered trials with validated measures, explicit family engagement frameworks, and systematic cultural adaptation.
DOI: 10.2147/ijwh.s647983
Institutions: Universitas Faletehan, Padjadjaran University
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,836
OpenAlex ID: W7202165287