title: Mobilizing communities for teen pregnancy prevention: associations between coalition characteristics and perceived accomplishments.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA. mkegler@sph.emory.edu
authors.forename: Michelle C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kegler
authors.forename: Clayton W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Carol M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Cassell
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Santelli
authors.forename: Scott R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Kegler
authors.forename: Susanne B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.forename: Mary Lou
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: Yolanda G
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Jonathan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mulhall
authors.forename: Jeffry A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Will
authors.forename: Vicki Harris
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Wyatt
authors.forename: Toni L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Felice
authors.forename: Sharon C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hunt
mesh_terms: 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