Selecting, implementing, and evaluating teen pregnancy prevention interventions: lessons from the CDC's Community Coalition Partnership Programs for the Prevention of Teen Pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
To summarize 13 communities' experiences with selecting, implementing, and evaluating teen pregnancy prevention interventions within the CDC Community Coalition Partnership Programs for the Prevention of Teen Pregnancy. The study focuses on decision-making processes and barriers encountered in five categories of interventions: reproductive health services, reproductive health education, parent-child communication, male involvement, and programs for pregnant and parenting teens.


METHODS
Telephone interviews were conducted with program directors, lead evaluators, and community coalition chairpersons in each of the 13 communities. The descriptive analysis explored factors that influenced community decisions to develop or not to develop interventions. These factors were analyzed by type of intervention.


RESULTS
Each community implemented an average of six interventions and operated them with a variety of funding sources. Interventions were selected on the basis of need, and the community needs and assets assessment process was "very important" for most reported interventions. Decision-making was influenced most often by project staff, the coalition, or related work groups. Teens were infrequently viewed as primary decision-makers in the selection of interventions. Communities with family planning services as hub agencies were more likely to address reproductive services and reproductive health education. Communities with child advocacy or youth-serving agencies were more likely to focus on other intervention categories. About two-thirds of the interventions were evaluated by either process or outcome measures, or by both.


CONCLUSIONS
This study highlights important lessons learned that should be considered in examinations of the overall effectiveness of this community coalition approach to the prevention of teen pregnancy.
Shearer
Darlene L
DL
Lawton and Rhea Chiles Center for Healthy Mothers and Babies, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33613-4460, USA. dshearer@hsc.usf.edu
Gyaben
Susan L
SL
Gallagher
Kaia M
KM
Klerman
Lorraine V
LV
D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D003142:Communication; D018672:Community Health Planning / Q000191:economics; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018456:Reproductive Medicine; D014481:United States