Assessing community readiness for teen pregnancy prevention: A key informant study

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention identified teen pregnancy prevention as one of its six primary prevention goals in 2010. To meet its goal of reduced teen pregnancy in the U.S., CDC funded nine health organizations to develop community-prevention programs. These projects are funded from 2010-2015. The data presented in this session focus on the first of multiple key informant interviews that will be conducted with the funded organizations. The first key informant interviews focused on the strengths and challenges of developing community groups that will ultimately lead community-wide efforts to address high rates of teen pregnancy in their communities. Much of the focus has been identifying the membership of the groups, identifying their responsibility, and addressing the importance of long-term sustainability of their efforts within the community. In particular, community prevention groups will work toward institutionalization of evidence-based sex education curriculums within their communities and development of user-friendly contraceptive access programs for teens. Challenges are already apparent in meeting these expectations. Implications will be discussed for all professionals concerned about community prevention programs for adolescents.