142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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309224
Sex in the CBO: Community Based Organizations as Avenues for Addressing Sexual Health

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Monday, November 17, 2014

Richard Goldsworthy, PhD, MSEd , Academic Edge, Inc., Bloomington, IN
Christopher M. Fisher, PhD , Department of Health Promotion, Social & Behavioral Health, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
J. Dennis Fortenberry, MD, MS , Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
Kathleen Baldwin, MSW, CSE, CC , Tell Kathleen Anything, Indianapolis, IN
Background. U.S. adolescent sexual health remains suboptimal. Research suggests community-based organizations (CBOs) and youth development professionals (YDP) represent an important and willing channel for addressing this problem; however, they frequently lack the education and support resources to do so effectively.

Objective. To evaluate web-deliverable resources for supporting CBO-based YDP to address sexual health related issues within their organizations.

Methods. Implemented iterative, user-centered development processes, coupled with behavior change theory and extensive input from YDP and sexual health experts, to develop a CBO-targeted sexual health portal, mightyresource.org. Conducted a repeated-measures, mixed-methods, field trial examining stage-of-change, knowledge, beliefs, intentions, self-efficacy, and other factors affecting engagement in key sexual health roles.

Results.Participants found the site useful and usable, and highly recommended it to colleagues. Significant growth was observed on several core study variables, including role awareness, intentions/willingness to engage in roles, and confidence to do so. Participants noted several areas of need for additional tools and resources and suggested changes to the current resources.

Conclusions. CBO-based YDP are well-situated to address sexual health issues among many underserved adolescents. mightyresource.orgexpanded YDPs' definitions of sexual health, increased their awareness and willingness to engage in different sexual health related roles, and improved their confidence to do so. Project resources will be shared and implications for future efforts discussed.

Supported in part by grant #070522 from the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, a part of the National Institutes of Health.

Learning Areas:

Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related education

Learning Objectives:
Describe the development and evaluation of, and gain access to, web-deliverable resources to support sexual health in community based organizations, mightyresource.org Evaluate the effectiveness of these tools for supporting faith leaders' ability to address suicide within their organizations Discuss next steps for resource development and dissemination

Keyword(s): Sexuality, Community-Based Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have over 15 years experience as principle investigator and lead researcher on a variety of public health educational and behavioral change efforts, including several large scale multiyear projects related to public, provider, and patient sexual health with both adult and adolescent populations. I am presently the principle investigator on the NIH grant supporting the research described in this abstract. My colleagues are nationally recognized experts in community based organizations and sexual health education.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3209.3: Sex, sexuality, and sexual behaviors