Kathleen M O'Rourke, PhD, MPH, Biometry and Epidemiology, Medical University of South Carolina, 135 Cannon St, Suite 302K, PO Box 250835, Charleston, SC 29425, 843-876-1118, orourkek@musc.edu and Janice Key, Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, 135 Rutledge, Suite 385B, PO Box 250561, Charleston, SC 29425.

Purpose: Adolescent pregnancy is a serious public health issue which should be addressed through a systematic evaluation. Process evaluations provide important overlooked data which can be used to identify program coverage, dosage, and participants’ perception of specific components. This study provides a process evaluation of a secondary adolescent pregnancy program. Methods: The intervention, a school-based youth development peer group with integrated comprehensive medical care of both the teen mother and her child, was evaluated for specific process objectives. Quantitative measurements included enrollment and participation rates. Qualitative measurements included focus group analysis of participants, and in-depth interviews with parents and school personnel to determine components of the program that each group considered most and least helpful, barriers to implementation, benefits and disadvantages of the program. Results: Overall, 95% of eligible girls participated in the project, with an average group attendance of 42%. Participants found the support of other teen parents to be the greatest benefit and privacy concerns the greatest barrier. Parent and school personnel viewed the program positively, and saw it as a means of providing the girls direction. Conclusions: Process evaluation of this secondary adolescent pregnancy prevention program demonstrated achievement of program objectives for enrollment and participation rates as well as in identifying components contributing to program success. This method of evaluation may be useful to adolescent pregnancy prevention programs in guiding program implementation and demonstrating efficacy in conjunction with outcome evaluations.

Learning Objectives:

• Learning Objectives. At the conclusion of the session, the attendee will be able to
• 1. Identify a means of incorporating process measures into an evaluation of a pregnancy prevention program
• 2. Articulate how qualitative measures can be used to guide program implementation and identify efficacy.

Keywords: Adolescents, Pregnancy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.