171281 GASP! Teen moms as a resource in reducing smoking by pregnant adolescents

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Joy Beck, CHES , Health Promotion, Mecklenburg County Health Department, Charlotte, NC
The purpose of the Girls Advocating for Smokefree Pregnancies (G.A.S.P.) program is to address the complications to health for teen mothers. The project, created by a teen mother who is a volunteer on our community advisory board aims to educate about the research which has shown that smoking during pregnancy causes health problems for both mothers and babies. There is also emphasis placed on pledging to maintain a smokefree home.The project's pilot was an alternative school for pregnant mothers. The project included staff training, peer education and media development.

Learning Objectives:
Step 1. Participants will be able to analyze community data on teen tobacco usage and create youth-driven campaign to prevent and intervene in pregnant teen community. Step 2. Participants can expect to learn how to partner with community agencies to create messages utilizing teen voices as assets. Step 3. a. Use community assessment data to set specific tobacco prevention priorities. b. Demonstrate knowledge of partnership capabilities. c. Identify leaders of specific maternity care and alternative education community to serve as liaisons. d. Analyze trends in youth communication techniques including social networking. e. Working with pregnant youth to create social marketing message.

Keywords: Tobacco Control, Pregnancy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: As program coordinator I aided in the creation and facilitation of the process to promote and implement this project.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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