Development of an Evaluation Framework for Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina's Teen Voices Peer Education Program
Creators: name: Pender, Michelle
name: Velloza, Jennifer
name: Turner, Dana
name: Nguyen, Frances
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2013

description: Despite an overall decline in incidence in recent years, teen pregnancy remains a public health concern in the central region of North Carolina. In 2009, Durham County ranked 24th in the number of teen pregnancies out of 100 counties, an increase from 44th in 2008 (APPCNC Durham County, 2011). In adjacent Orange County, data indicate disparities in teen pregnancy rates between Hispanic/Latina girls, African-American/Non-Hispanic girls, and White/Non-Hispanic girls (APPCNC Orange County, 2011). These trends and disparities suggest the need for focused pregnancy prevention programming targeting youth in central North Carolina. The need for pregnancy prevention programming in Orange and Durham Counties is being addressed in part by Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina (PPCNC), which sponsors several sexual and reproductive health peer education programs. The Capstone project described in the following report was designed to support current peer education programs at PPCNC, specifically Teen Voices, as well as provide direction for other peer education initiatives moving forward. The Capstone team achieved this goal through an investigation of relevant scientific literature, formative research focusing on local teens and other community stakeholders, and the development of materials to effectively evaluate the Teen Voices program. The PPCNC Capstone project has produced six major deliverables. Deliverable I is a systematic review of the scientific literature related to adolescent sexual and reproductive health peer education programs and relevant applications of new media technology to enhance information delivery. Deliverable II is a matrix of findings from focus groups conducted with local youth and parents and semi-structured interviews with local adolescent health service providers. Deliverable III is a report of findings from a brief quantitative survey distributed among recent PPCNC Teen Voices program alumni meant to assess attitudes towards proposed program expansion. Deliverable IV is a collection of related documents, consisting of a program brief designed for internal distribution at PPCNC and set of customized fact sheets that synthesize findings from the focus groups, interviews, surveys, and the literature review. These first four deliverables constitute a body of formative research that provides the foundation for the last two deliverables, which are focused on program evaluation. Deliverable V is a process and outcome evaluation plan for the PPCNC Teen Voices program as it currently exists (i.e. before any proposed expansion) and it also includes evaluation recommendations for program expansion. The last product, Deliverable VI, is a set of tools outlined in the evaluation plan that will be used for process and outcome evaluation data collection and analysis of the results. The PPCNC Capstone project work has broad implications for its key stakeholders. The Capstone team gained valuable experience collaborating with a community partner to plan and implement the project. The individual project deliverables presented numerous opportunities for skill development, especially in the development of formative research tools and tailoring materials to suit the needs of a local partner organization. The evaluation of the current Teen Voices program provides support for the existing program and feedback on potential strategies for expanding the program in the future. With broader dissemination efforts, the Teen Voices evaluation can make a meaningful contribution to the body of practice-based evidence related to teen sexual and reproductive health peer education programs.