TEEN PREGNANCY. AWARENESS & PREVENTiON. C A m P A i G N

Transcription

1 TEEN PREGNANCY AWARENESS & PREVENTiON C A m P A i G N Results from A Survey Among WAco Community LeAders August 2013

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3 table of contents Background & Methods iii Understanding of problems associated with teen pregnancy 1 Opinions on potential solutions to teen pregnancy 1 Percentage of respondents who agree 1 Barriers to accessing teen pregnancy prevention 2 Percentage of respondents who agree 2 Suggestions for improving teen pregnancy prevention 3 What the community leaders are saying 3 Conclusion and Acknowledgments 4 SmartBabies Information 5 List of Boards and Organizations Surveyed 5 ii

4 BAckground & Methods In 2009, Waco Foundation commissioned a study by the Texas Early Childhood Education Coalition (TECEC) which developed a central baseline for understanding the current condition of the youngest residents in McLennan County. On a 100 point scale, using 12 risk factors most closely linked to a child s health and education development, McLennan County has an average quality of life for children 0-3 of 41.67%. While working with agencies and collaborations, Waco Foundation trustees recognized the need for a central, comprehensive early childhood initiative, thereby launching the SmartBabies Initiative. The SmartBabies Initiative aims to raise awareness of early childhood development and parent engagement, maintain an inventory of early childhood resources and facilitate the development and implementation of a strategic plan to improve the quality of life for children ages 0-3 in McLennan County. The three focus areas for the strategic plan are prenatal care, home visitation and teen pregnancy. Teen Pregnancy was chosen as a focus area due to the fact that data tells us that 69% of Texas high school seniors are sexually active, Texas leads the nation in highest rate of repeat teen births, and 49% of McLennan County women have their first child by 20 or younger has led to the need of our community to address teen pregnancy prevention. To begin addressing teen pregnancy in McLennan County, it is first necessary to understand the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of groups in the community that are relevant to this work. The purpose of this survey was to assess the beliefs and awareness of teen pregnancy and prevention programs among community leaders within the Waco area. The survey was developed from research questions created by the Teen Pregnancy Subcommittee members, who are local practitioners in Waco. The Teen Pregnancy Subcommittee was convened to bring together knowledgeable practitioners that contribute to dialogue about how to strategically address the teen pregnancy prevention needs of our community. Subcommittee members are representatives from the education, non-profit, and healthcare sectors. The guiding research questions were adapted from Getting Organized: A Guide to Preventing Teen Pregnancy, which is a practical manual for communities that are interested in taking action to prevent teen pregnancy in their community. It was created by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. For the purpose of this survey, community leaders were categorized based on their relevance to teen pregnancy prevention efforts and were determined from feedback from the subcommittee and Waco Foundation Staff. In order to make these classifications of potential participants for the study, staff identified sectors and industries in the community that are relevant to teen pregnancy prevention work, including health care, education, elected officials, faith-based organizations, and nonprofit organizations, among others. Leaders were classified as the groups or individuals in a governing or decision making position in those organizations. The online survey instrument was developed by Dr. Paul Ilich, Senior Director of Research, Planning, and Institutional Effectiveness at McLennan Community College. The survey was ed to 106 individuals on July 24, Participants were given three weeks to complete the survey, and as of August 2013, 76 responses had been received, which represents a response rate of 71.6%. Among the respondents, approximately 70% were associated with three industries: education, health services, and non-profit organizations. Over 60% of respondents have lived in Waco for 20 or more years and 84% were between the ages of 45 and 65. Forty six percent (46%) of the respondents were female and 54% were male. The sample of respondents were representative of the target population in relation to gender and industry. iii

5 Understanding of problems associated with teen pregnancy in Waco Teen pregnancy is not a significant problem in the Waco The number of teen pregnancy prevention programs in the Waco area have the capacity to meet community need Teen parents generally have fewer parenting skills than older parents Teen pregnancy prevention should be a higher priority in the Waco area Opinions on potential solutions to teen pregnancy Over 95% of respondents agreed that teen pregnancy solutions should include the following: age appropriate programs for middle and high school students and older teens, and information for parents. Ninety-four percent (94%) of respondents agreed that teen pregnancy prevention programs should be addressed through community programs while 84% agreed that teen pregnancy prevention programs should be addressed through school sponsored programs. Seventy percent (70%) of respondents agreed that teen pregnancy solutions should include programs for elementary school students and 60% agreed that teen pregnancy programs should include access to contraception. Percentage of respondents who agree with the following statements: Efforts should include information for parents Efforts should include age appropriate programs for middle school students 98% Efforts should include age appropriate programs for high school students 98% Efforts should include programs for older teens (17-19 years) 97% Teen pregnancy prevention should be discussed inside the home Teen pregnancy prevention should be addressed through community programs Teen pregnancy prevention should be addressed through school sponsored programs 84% Efforts should include age appropriate programs for elementary school students 70% Teen pregnancy programs should include providing contraception 60% 71% disagreed 97% disagreed 94% Agreed 96% Agreed 98% 95% 94% 1

6 Barriers to accessing teen pregnancy prevention programs & services When asked about potential barriers to teens accessing pregnancy prevention programs and services, including information, health care services and contraception, 81% of respondents agreed that lack of knowledge about available resources is a major barrier. Over 50% of respondents agreed that fear of embarrassment, an insufficient number of community teen pregnancy prevention programs and a lack of interest in the programs that do exist represent major barriers to teens. In regards to teens accessing resources, forty-six (46%) of respondents agreed that negative stigma associated with accessing programs and parent disapproval are major barriers, while 29% agreed that peer disapproval is a major barrier. Percentage of respondents who agree the following are major barriers: Lack of knowledge about available resources 81% Fear of embarrassment 58% Insufficient number of community teen pregnancy prevention programs Lack of interest in pregnancy prevention among teens 56% 55% Negative stigma associated with accessing teen pregnancy prevention programs 46% Parent disapproval 46% Peer disapproval 29% 2

7 Suggestions for improving teen pregnancy prevention Open ended responses were collected that provided suggestions for improving teen pregnancy prevention efforts in the Waco community. The main themes were providing education and information to teens, providing parent education, utilizing parent involvement in efforts and school involvement in prevention efforts. Out of 40 open ended responses, 19 named information and education to teens as a means of improving teen pregnancy prevention. Number of respondents who cited the following themes: (Out of 40 open-ended responses) Information/Education for teens 19 Parent education and involvement 10 School involvement 9 Education should include both abstinence and 7 contraception Access to contraception 7 Community involvement 6 What the community leaders are saying... These direct quotes from respondents represent information and suggestions are typical of the main themes provided: >> Expand access to medically accurate information about sexual health... that s appropriate for the age and developmental stage of the youth. >> I do think sex education in schools, responsibly taught, should be happening. >> Provide parents with the resources they need to have conversations about sexuality and teen pregnancy prevention with their children. 3

8 Conclusion The majority of community leaders agreed that teen pregnancy is a significant issue in the Waco community and that prevention should be a higher priority. Community leaders responded that prevention efforts in Waco should focus on providing education and information to high school students, older teens and parents through school programs, community programs and discussion inside the home. Sixty-percent (60%) of community leaders agreed that teen pregnancy programs should include providing contraception. The majority of leaders (81%) cited that a major barrier to teens accessing pregnancy prevention services and programs is a lack of knowledge about available resources. Overall, community leaders in Waco believe teen pregnancy prevention should be higher priority and are supportive of comprehensive prevention programs that include providing contraception. Acknowledgments Waco Foundation s SmartBabies Initiative would like to express its great appreciation to those who supported this work. We thank the Teen Pregnancy Subcommittee for the guidance on the purpose and goals of this survey. We would also like to thank Dr. Paul Ilich, Senior Director, Institutional Effectiveness, Research & Planning of McLennan Community College for not only his immense role in the development of the survey, but also for the valuable and constructive input on the report. We express deep gratitude to Virginia DuPuy, Executive Director of the Greater Waco Education Alliance, for her help in disseminating the survey to the leaders in our community. Finally, we would like to thank the respondents of the survey for taking the time to be candid and thoughtful in their responses. With this information, SmartBabies Initiative will continue its efforts in assessing the community on this subject through additional surveys with parents and teens. The comprehensive understanding of the current status of the Waco community will be used to shape strategy for addressing teen pregnancy. The full needs assessment report will be available in early 2014, which will include the surveys of parents and teens and a community resource evaluation. Feel free to share this information with others. If you would like a presentation including the results, or have any questions please contact Ashley Weaver, Director of the SmartBabies Initiative at aweaver@wacofoundation.org or

9 Teen Pregnancy Subcommittee Members Jim Coston, Senior Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church Shannon Dunn, Outreach Office Director, Methodist Children s Home Felicia Goodman, Executive Director, Cooper Foundation Tiffany Johnson, Health Services Coordinator, Waco-McLennan County Public Health District Beth Olson Drew, Executive Director, Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Alice Pollard, Compensatory Education Home Instructor Teacher, Waco ISD Stacy Riggs, Nurse, WISD Coordinator of Health Services, Waco ISD Maria Solano, Community Ambassador/Member Connections Representative, Superior Insurance Delorean Wilkinson-McGee, Prevention Coordinator, Advocacy Center List of Boards and Organizations Surveyed Child Protective Services Leadership EOAC Board Family Health Center Board Greater Waco Education Alliance McLennan Community College Board of Trustees McLennan County Commissioners Court McLennan County Juvenile Judge Prosper Waco Committee School Boards and Superintendents SmartBabies Initiative Steering Committee Waco-McLennan County Public Health District Board Waco City Council Waco Foundation Board of Trustees Waco Interfaith Council Board of Directors Contact Information: Ashley Weaver, Director of the SmartBabies Initiative >> aweaver@wacofoundation.org Phone: Wooded Acres Drive, Suite 701, Waco, TX

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