Teen Parents Project Professor Carol Morse, Director Health & Wellbeing Research Meredith McIntyre, Senior Lecturer School of Nursing & Midwifery

Teen Parents Project Title: ‘Teen Parents: examining the influences of ‘place’ on their social inequities and mental wellbeing’.

Purpose of the Project To identify which neighbourhood and psychosocial characteristics play an enhancing or compressing role in the lives of young parents and the barriers that preclude a return to education and training.

Project Objectives a) identify the personal, interpersonal and ecological determinants that influence a teenager to proceed with a pregnancy (Ecological Model of development Glass & Balfour, 2003; Bronfenbrenner, 1989) ; b) identify the contributions of various sources of social capital on the present experiences and future hopes and decision-making among young parents;

Project Objectives con’t c) carry out a pilot study and evaluate the utility of an intergenerational buddy programme to assist young parents to retrieve their educational prospects for a better future; d) evaluate the efficacy of teen sexual health and reproduction education subjects variously constructed and delivered to secondary school students ; and

Project Objectives con’t e) use the findings to provide fresh policy recommendations that can guide community health and education services in the provision of relevant interventions for young parents and their children.

Project Design Methodologies. A two phase project is proposed utilising both quantitative and qualitative approaches Phase 1 Retrospective evaluation of sex education and impacts on decision making related to sexual behaviours Phase 2 Young parents ecological model (mentorship program)

Project Design Phase 1 Structured interview, young women and men aged years who are either pregnant or already parents (n=300, Questionnaire; young women and men aged years non parents (n=1000) Phase 2 Trial a pilot ‘Buddy’ program where young parents are linked with an older mature person to receive mentoring in a range of educational endeavours that result in the teen being accepted into workplace training or TAFE Career counselling, assessment of literacy, numeracy and computer skills, generic negotiation skills, mentorship through resume development personal presentation and interview skills.

Evidence to Support the need for this research? Sources Epidemiological audit Mornington Peninsula (Monash University 2005) Greater attrition from secondary education 31 – 45% Perinatal Births Data base (2003) Teen births 5.4% (Vic average 2.9%) Frankston City Council Health & Wellbeing Plan ) Low culture of learning A Fairer Victoria: creating opportunities and addressing disadvantage (2005) Recommendations supporting youth mentoring schemes

Community Consultation and Partner Building Community Consultation Exercise Undertaken Community Health Services Frankston & Peninsula Youth City Council Services Frankston & Peninsula Youth & M&CH Peninsula Health Network Core of Life Community Health Services

In Summary Project fit National Research Priority 2 ‘Promoting and Maintaining Good Health’ A Healthy Start to Life Health & Wellbeing (Health inequities, Vic Health 2005) Teen mothers are more likely to live in areas of geographical disadvantages, be single, to have been unaware of their pregnancy and gestation progression, experience high emotional distress and mental health problems, engage in adverse health behaviours [substances use] that are deleterious to themselves and their foetus / offspring, endure domestic violence, poverty, be the product of a teen pregnancy, be ignorant about sex and sexually transmitted infections and have greater exposure to petty and grand crimes (Centre for Adolescent Health)