Implementation science: promoting science-based approaches to prevent teen pregnancy.

This paper reports the results of a project funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention intended to promote the use of science-based approaches to teen pregnancy prevention. As with other efforts to promote diffusion of innovations, adoption of these successful programs faced a number of barriers including lack of knowledge of programs that work, lack of funding for training and materials, devaluing science-based approaches, complexity of successful programs, politics, funding streams and compatibility with particular community characteristics. Nevertheless, five state and three national teen pregnancy organizations provided intensive technical assistance, produced materials, and provided training to encourage use of programs that work. Local barriers to their work included the fact that teen pregnancy rates were already dropping, instability of funding to pay for such programs, turnover of agency staff, the need for intensive follow-up to promote adoption, the internal organization of the initiative, and the fragility of local teen pregnancy prevention coalitions. Still, in each of five states, there was increased adoption of science-based approaches to prevent teen pregnancy.