Implementation of Community‑Wide Initiatives Designed to Reduce Teen Pregnancy: Measuring Progress in a 5‑Year Project in 10 Communities.

INTRODUCTION

Community-wide initiatives (CWI) to prevent teen pregnancy were implemented in 10 communities in the USA. The CWI supported the implementation of evidence-based teen pregnancy interventions (EBIs) and implementation of best practices for adolescent reproductive health care. Implementation was supported through mobilizing communities, educating stakeholders, and strategies to promote health equity.

METHODS

We assessed indicators of progress of the CWI for the following five project components (data collected from 2010 to 2015): community mobilization, stakeholder education, working with diverse communities, evidence-based interventions, and increasing access to clinical services and the potential contributions of training and technical assistance.

RESULTS

Communities engaged multiple stakeholder groups to contribute to planning, community outreach and education, and partnership development and used multiple dissemination methods to share information on adolescent reproductive health needs and teen pregnancy prevention strategies. The amount of training and technical assistance from state- and community-based organizations was associated with increased numbers of youth receiving EBIs and increased provision of contraceptives. The number of health centers implementing best practices for adolescent reproductive health services increased; conducting sexual health assessments, offering hormonal contraception or IUD, and offering quick start of IUDs were associated with increases in long-acting reversible contraception utilization.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings demonstrate that scaled prevention efforts can occur with adequate support including training and technical assistance and community awareness and engagement in the process.

POLICY IMPLICATIONS

The findings raise important questions for understanding what factors contribute to successful community-wide implementation of EBIs and health center best practices for contraceptive access and whether these lead to reductions in teen pregnancies in highly impacted communities.