title: Strategically Timed Preventive Education and Media Strategies Reduce Seasonal Trends in Adolescent Conception.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study sought to analyze the effect of strategically timed local preventive education on reducing teen conception rates during known seasonal peaks in March and April.
  
  
  METHODS
  All teen conceptions (age ≤ 19) from March and April 2010, 2011, and 2012 were identified using medical records data. Teen conceptions occurring in January 2010, 2011, and 2012 were also identified to control for any new trends in the community.
  
  
  METHODS
  A city of 160,000 with 1 tertiary care centre.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pregnant adolescents (age ≤ 19).
  
  
  METHODS
  During the month of February 2012, preventive education and media awareness strategies were aimed at parents, teachers, and teens.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adolescent conceptions in March and April 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Conception rates in teens ≤18 years old were significantly reduced in March and April 2012 compared to March and April 2010 and 2011 (RR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.32 - 0.88, P = .0132). There was an increase in conceptions in March and April 2012 compared to 2010 and 2011 among 19-year-olds (RR = 1.57, 95% CI = 0.84-2.9, P = .1500). Effect modification revealed our ≤18-year-old group and our 19-year-old group were distinct groups with different risk estimates (P = .0075).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Educational sessions were poorly attended and contraception clinic volume was static. We propose increased parental supervision in response to media reminders as a possible explanation for the reduction in adolescent conceptions (≤18 years old) seen in March 2012.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gauster
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Waddington
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: maj3@queensu.ca.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Jamieson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003267:Contraception / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D009864:Ontario; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012621:Seasons; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adolescent conception; Adolescent pregnancy; Contraception; Education through media; Public health; Seasonal trends; Teen pregnancy prevention