title: Implementation of a journal prototype for pregnant and parenting adolescents.
abstract: Teenage pregnancy and childbearing remain pressing public health issues that have garnered attention from public health officials and social services agencies. This paper reports on the initial implementation and formative evaluation of a journaling program used as a means of communicating health information to pregnant and parenting adolescents (young women age 15-19) while also providing participants with a means of self-expression. The journaling prototype was implemented in a community-based agency in the Midwest by Family Support Specialists (FSSs) who made home visits on a monthly basis to assist pregnant and parenting adolescents (n=52) with successful family planning and public health education. A mixed method approach of qualitative (analysis of journals, field notes, and responses of semi-structured interviews with FSSs) and quantitative (questionnaires from pregnant and parenting adolescent respondents) data with purposive sampling was employed to evaluate the implementation of the journaling intervention. Twenty of the 52 study participants were pregnant when the journaling intervention was implemented, while 32 were not pregnant, but recently had a child and were currently parenting. Two core themes emerged from analysis of the data after the implementation of the journals: (1) usefulness of the journal and responsiveness to participants' information needs and (2) functionality challenges. The results offer practical starting points to tailor the implementation of journaling in other contexts. Further, areas for improvement emerged regarding the distribution timeline for the journal and the content of the journal itself. As such, we discuss the lessons learned through this collaborative project and suggest opportunities for future phases of the journal intervention.
authors: Department of Communication Studies, IU School of Liberal Arts, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Cavanaugh Hall 307J, 425 University Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. Electronic address: jjbute@iupui.edu.
authors: Jennifer J
authors: JJ
authors: Bute
authors: Collaborative Research & Health Geoinformatics, The Polis Center, 1200 Waterway Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: Comer
authors: Survey Research Center at IUPUI, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, 425 University Boulevard, CA133, Indianapolis, IN 46202-5140, USA.
authors: Kathryn M
authors: KM
authors: Lauten
authors: Visual Communication Design, Herron School of Art and Design, Indiana University, 735 W. New York St., Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
authors: Helen Y
authors: HY
authors: Sanematsu
authors: Attic Design Collective, 212 W 10th Street Suite D385, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
authors: Courtney M
authors: CM
authors: Moore
authors: Attic Design Collective, 212 W 10th Street Suite D385, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
authors: Dustin
authors: D
authors: Lynch
authors: Department of Health Policy and Management, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, 110 E. Clayton Street, Ste. 300, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
authors: Neale R
authors: NR
authors: Chumbler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D014956:Writing
keywords: Adolescent pregnancy; Journaling; Program evaluation