Abstract
Teenage motherhood often places young Filipinas at a crossroads, balancing education with early parenting. This study explores the relationship between Quality of Life (QoL) and academic performance among teenage mothers enrolled in the Social Protection Program for Adolescent Mothers and Their Children (SPPAMC) in Region 2, Philippines. Using a descriptive-correlational design, the research involved 101 participants who completed the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire and reported their General Weighted Averages (GWA) as academic performance indicators. Focus group discussions were also conducted to enrich the quantitative data. Findings showed that participants reported moderate to high satisfaction in psychological, social, and physical domains, while the environmental domain—covering access to transportation, finances, and living conditions—was rated lower. Statistical analysis revealed that only the environmental domain of QoL had a significant relationship with academic performance (r = 0.252, p < .05). Other domains showed no statistical connection to school outcomes. The results suggest that structural and resource-based factors, such as stable housing, reliable transportation, and access to educational materials, may influence teenage mothers' academic success more than emotional or social factors alone. Qualitative data supported the results, where participants considered transportation, childcare, and financial challenges as barriers to school participation; this highlighted the need to address environmental inequalities in school support programs. This paper contributes to understanding how life circumstances, particularly the environment, shape educational outcomes among adolescent mothers, a vulnerable yet determined population.
