Mobilizing communities for teen pregnancy prevention: associations between coalition characteristics and perceived accomplishments.
OBJECTIVE
To describe coalition membership, examine associations between coalition processes and short-term coalition outcomes, and assess the relative contribution of key coalition processes to perceived accomplishments in teen pregnancy prevention coalitions.


METHODS
A self-administered survey was distributed to active members of 21 teen pregnancy prevention coalitions in 13 communities. The overall response rate was 67%, with 471 surveys returned. Process measures included staff competence, member influence in decision making, and coalition functioning. Short-term outcome measures included perceived accomplishments, member satisfaction, member participation, and coalition viability.


RESULTS
About 50% of coalition members represented health or teen pregnancy prevention or youth development service organizations, with 13% participating primarily as residents or youth. None of the process measures were associated with coalition viability (defined as active 2 years post-survey). Many bivariate associations between coalition processes and other short-term outcomes were significant at the individual and coalition levels of analysis. In a multivariate random coefficients model, coalition functioning (p <.001) and member influence in decision making (p = .019) were significantly associated with perceived coalition accomplishments.


CONCLUSIONS
Consistent with research on coalitions that have addressed other health issues, good coalition processes were associated with short-term indicators of effectiveness in these teen pregnancy prevention coalitions. Coalition processes were not associated with coalition viability 2 years post-survey, however, suggesting that other factors influence coalition survival.
Kegler
Michelle C
MC
Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA. mkegler@sph.emory.edu
Williams
Clayton W
CW
Cassell
Carol M
CM
Santelli
John
J
Kegler
Scott R
SR
Montgomery
Susanne B
SB
Bell
Mary Lou
ML
Martinez
Yolanda G
YG
Klein
Jonathan D
JD
Mulhall
Peter
P
Will
Jeffry A
JA
Wyatt
Vicki Harris
VH
Felice
Toni L
TL
Hunt
Sharon C
SC
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D002648:Child; D018672:Community Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D003625:Data Collection; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012106:Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States