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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Connie A. Ritchey, School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, 2631 Blakemore Ave, Nashville, TN 37212, 615-390-7567, connie.ritchey@vanderbilt.edu and Kimberlee Wyche-Etheridge, MD, MPH, Director Family Youth and Infant Health, Metro Nashville Public Health Department, 311 23rd Ave N, Nashville, TN 37211.

An African American baby, born in Nashville TN, is two times more likely to die before its first birthday than its Caucasian counterpart. Using the Perinatal Periods of Risk Analysis, The Metro Public Health Department has shown that these infants are most likely to die as a result of preconception maternal health. To improve birth outcomes, it is important to address the overall health of women prior to pregnancy. Community Voices- Nashville, a faith and public health partnership, modeled after the March of Dimes funded program in Lynchburg VA, was initiated two years ago. To date, 130 individuals have been educated about infant mortality and preconception health. In order to reach one of the populations with the worst perinatal outcomes, African American adolescent girls, Youth Community Voices was established. Many teens do not have access to the information they need to be healthy young women. They do not receive this information at home or from school. As a result this community education program targeted to young African American teenage girls in Nashville was established. Motivated teenagers are educated using an age appropriate preconception health curriculum focused on issues important to girls entering child-bearing age. The teens are then trained to share this information with primarily faith based youth groups, community organizations and friends. 98.7% of adult trainees completing a similar training indicated an increase in knowledge of infant mortality. Pre and post-testing during the most recent training indicated an average increase in knowledge of 27.1%.

Learning Objectives: