Engaging Church Leaders in the Reduction of Teen Birth Rate in High Risk Areas

Involving faith-based organizations in community health promotion has gained widespread interest and has been a successful approach in addressing various health disparities in vulnerable communities. However, there is comparatively little evidence regarding sexual health promotion among faith-based organizations. Some agencies have responded to the challenge of reducing teen pregnancy with broad-based initiatives involving many different sectors of the community, including faith-based organizations. Focus groups with key church leaders (n=25) from zip codes with identified birth rates of 95 or higher were conducted to explore their perception of teen pregnancy among their communities. Recruitment was conducted through email and flyers. Participants also completed a survey through SurveyMonkey, which was analyzed for descriptive statistics. Additionally, this study identified the barriers that church leaders encounter in their efforts to address teen pregnancy in their communities. Common themes that emerged include: church education, parent support and communication, cultural barriers, availability of resources, awareness of services, and the need for comprehensive sexual education. Findings and recommendations to help those working in the faith community overcome identified barriers are addressed. Recent decreases in teen birth rates should not lead to complacency; rather they should inspire public health practitioners to do more, especially when some communities have not experienced the same success. Collaborating with faith-based organizations is one method to consider when considering community prevention efforts.