Utilizing short documentary film making techniques to report assessment finding: A teen pregnancy assessment

In the fall of 2009, a UT School of Public Health student group partnered with a local community health board to explore an emerging community health concern. The community health board had received information from the local high school that they were experiencing an increase in pregnant and parenting teens. The local health board was interested in discovering 1)If there was an increase in the number and rate of teen pregnancies and 2)Exploring local attitudes towards sex education and teen pregnancy. The UT School of Public Health student group conducted an assessment including exploration of extant data, identify and gathering local data, a survey of 111 community leaders, and interviews with community members. In addition to the traditional written report, the student group developed a short documentary highlighting key informant interview themes and introducing the issue of teen pregnancy. The community assessed experiences significant barriers to discussing issues of teen sexuality. The documentary reflects back to the community the words of their own leaders and acts to start the conversation in a safe, non-threatening manner. The documentary techniques are replicable for other small communities where social norms present barriers to open communication about sensitive health topics.