Advocating for preconception health through the use of peer educators

In 2008 The Federal Office of Minority Health initiated the "A Healthy Baby Begins with You" campaign. Phase 2 involved training students of color to advocate for health among their peers and their communities. Tennessee has 5 Historically Black institutes of higher education, offering a unique opportunity to pilot this program simultaneously across the state. A total of 20 students, 4 from each campus were trained and certified as a Preconception Health Peer Educator. Trained PPE's functioned on 3 levels: Level 1: One on one peer education with dorm mates, friends, and others on campus. Level 2: Four required campus wide and community events. These events included a Midnight Spa, a Community Barbershop, a 1st Birthday Party and a Community Baby Shower. Level 3: Monthly webinars. These educational and networking sessions were open to PPE's across the country and offered an opportunity to hear from national experts as well as cross talk with other students engaged in similar work. Last year, the students provided education and intervention for over 1500 women and men. The most impressive of their results were: 100% of individuals surveyed learned health tips that they did not know previously. 100% were able to identify at least one healthy behavior that they could commit to, and the majority felt empowered to have more control over their health. This state wide pilot shows the great potential of programs that engage students as peer educators, especially when targeting communities of color.