Organizational Use of a Media Campaign Booklet to Encourage Parent-Child Communication about Waiting to Have Sex

Parent-child communication is an important tool for preventing teen sexual activity. Using multimedia public education, the Parents Speak Up National Campaign (PSUNC), funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, encourages parents to talk to their preteens and teens early and often about waiting to have sex. One component of PSUNC is an educational booklet for parents that can be ordered for free from the Campaign's Web site. To increase the utility of the booklet in the future, it is important to learn about the characteristics of organizations that have ordered the booklet and how it has been used. We conducted individual qualitative telephone interviews with or received written responses from staff at nine community organizations, nine health care facilities, five school-based organizations, and three PSUNC outreach centers. Organizations were located in 20 different states and were diverse regarding size, staff roles, and populations served. Results suggested variety in how the booklet has been used. Community and school-based organizations often distributed the booklet at parent workshops or classes; health care facilities usually displayed the booklet in waiting and exam rooms. Organizations rarely collected formal parent feedback or tracked parental use of the booklet, but informal parent feedback was very positive. Staff indicated that the booklet fit well with organizational goals and that it should be advertised more widely, and provided valuable suggestions for improvements. A better understanding of how print materials are utilized as part of media campaigns can improve their usefulness and potential influence on health behaviors.