Implementing evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention interventions in a communitywide initiative

In partnership, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) have implemented from 2010-2015 a 5-year multi-component communitywide teen pregnancy prevention initiative in 8 state and community organizations. A key component of the initiative involves implementing evidence-based interventions (EBIs) that have been shown to be effective at addressing risk and protective factors associated with reducing teen pregnancy. This presentation will describe 1) the implementation of EBIs in the communitywide initiative and 2) efforts made by one community, South San Antonio, to engage community stakeholders to successfully implement EBIs in schools.

In the overall initiative, state and community organizations increased the number of youth reached in targeted communities from 4,304 in 2012 to 12,024 in 2013 and 19,334 in 2014, for a total of 35,662 youth reached. Preliminary findings show that communities that reached larger numbers of youth partnered with schools and organizations with greater access to youth. In San Antonio, lead grantee organization UT Teen Health implemented EBIs at 7 high schools and 3 middle schools located in five school districts. Community mobilization and stakeholder education played integral roles in garnering community support and expanding EBIs in San Antonio public schools; youth participation expanded from 420 in 2012 to 2,567 in 2013 and 3,926 in 2014.

Results indicate that engaging schools to implement EBIs is an important strategy for reaching youth, and integrating stakeholder/community mobilization efforts helps to garner community support and expand participation in EBIs in schools.