The Baby Think It Over™ Experience to Prevent Teen Pregnancy: A Postintervention Evaluation

• Published in: Public health Nursing Vol. 21; no. 4; pp. 331 - 337
• Main Authors: Didion, Judy, Gatzke, Helen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK; Malden, USA Blackwell Science Inc 01-07-2004; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; adolescent pregnancy; adolescent sexuality; Attitude to Health; Biological and medical sciences; Female; Focus Groups; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Infant Care - psychology; infant simulators; Infant, Newborn; Male; Medical sciences; Midwestern United States; Needs Assessment; Nursing; Nursing Methodology Research; Pregnancy; Pregnancy in Adolescence - prevention & control; Pregnancy in Adolescence - psychology; Program Evaluation; program improvement; Psychology, Adolescent; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Qualitative Research; Risk Assessment; Role Playing; Rural Health; School Health Services - organization & administration; Sex Education - organization & administration; Students - psychology; Midwestern United States; United States > US; Human; Evaluation; Program; Infant; program improvement; adolescent pregnancy; Pregnancy; Prevention; Newborn; program evaluation; Adolescent; Sexuality; Female; infant simulators; Woman; Simulator; Public health; adolescent sexuality
• ISSN: 0737-1209; 1525-1446
• DOI: 10.1111/j.0737-1209.2004.21406.x

An evaluation was conducted to describe the personal impact of the “In Your Care” pregnancy prevention intervention program using Baby Think It Over™ infant simulator. Data was collected regarding the attitudes, actual and intended sexual practices, feelings, and opinions of participants 2 or 3 years after the intervention. Student recommendations for program continuation and improvement were also solicited. Male and female 11th grade students in rural and suburban Midwestern communities, who had experienced the program 2 or 3 years earlier, completed surveys and were interviewed in focus groups. Participants vividly recalled and described the simulated experience in statements that reflected insight and feelings about parental responsibility and the consequences of teen pregnancy. The teens also made several recommendations for enhancing the program. The findings suggest that simulated experiences can be a powerful strategy for effective learning about complex decisions regarding the risks of sexual activity and the realities of parenting.