This SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) Phase I project will test the feasibility of establishing an archive of the most promising teen pregnancy prevention programs that have been developed to date. Each program package will include everything needed to replicate the promising program (e.g., textbook, workbook, video, board game, etc.) plus an accompanying evaluation packet--with instructions, instruments, and scoring instructions--for assessing the effectiveness of the program. Effectiveness will be defined as demonstrated salutary impact on fertility-related behavior (i.e., postponement of sexual intercourse; decrease in frequency of sexual intercourse; decrease in number of sexual partners; increase in contraceptive use at first intercourse; increase in consistent contraceptive use among the sexually active; prevention of pregnancy and parenthood). For programs aimed at children 15 or younger, demonstrated salutary impact on values and attitudes (perception that the above behaviors are worthwhile and of value) will be accepted as preliminary evidence of effectiveness. Phase I will: (1) identify model programs and evaluations; (2) investigate the feasibility of obtaining developers' permission to obtain, process, and market their programs and evaluations; and (3) using one program as a prototype, investigate the feasibility of enhancing both program and evaluation materials to the point of public usability and commercial viability. Phase II will enhance the remaining programs selected during Phase I and will beta-test (implement at an independent site) all programs and their respective evaluation packages. Unmarried teen pregnancy is a problem in many communities across the country, and many pregnancy prevention programs with a variety of approaches and assumptions have been developed and implemented. The products to be created by the proposed project should facilitate cost- effective replication of programs that work; prevent wasted effort spent """"""""reinventing the wheel""""""""; and encourage ongoing scientific evaluation of programs to ascertain the robustness of each program's effectiveness (or lack thereof) across different study populations. Because of national concern with problems presented by teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, we expect that there will be widespread demand for the program and evaluation material products to be created by this project.
