Overview of the Plain Talk Data Collection System Sarabeth Shreffler, MPH, CHES Program Officer, Plain Talk Program Public/Private Ventures

The Purpose of Data Collection  To answer 2 Questions:  Is the program working as intended?  Why is this the case?  To improve and refine the program  To serve as a decision-making tool for planners, policy makers, and program funders

Goals of Plain Talk  1) To create a consensus among parents and adults about the need to protect sexually active youth through encouraging early and consistent use of contraceptives;  2) To give parents and other community adults the information and skills they need to communicate more effectively with adolescents about responsible sexual behavior; and  3) To improve adolescent access to quality, age- appropriate and readily available reproductive health care, including contraception.

Plain Talk Formula for Success Education + Communication + Access to Contraceptives = Fewer unwanted pregnancies and STDs

Plain Talk Staff Confidentiality  Site Directors, program coordinators, Walkers & Talkers, and volunteers must all sign a Confidentiality agreement in which they pledge to not discuss private information of any and all Plain Talk participants and staff members.  Purpose is to help ensure confidentiality and safety of participants which in turn helps establish trust between participants and staff.

Plain Talk Participant Consent  Informed consent of each Plain Talk participant is necessary before taking part in ANY type of data collection process.  This includes anything from Community Mapping surveys and Home Health Parties to having photographs of them taken.

Plain Talk Data Collection  Both process and outcome data is being collected continuously over the 3 year program cycle.  Planning Stage  Community Mapping Stage  Home Health Party and Walkers & Talkers Stage

Planning Stage  Data Collection Tools:  Community Demographics Form  Selection of neighborhoods and random sampling strategy is set

Community Demographics Form  Purpose:  To establish a baseline profile of the Plain Talk Community  Key Points of Measurement:  Socio-economic status  Adolescent sexual health status  (pregnancy rates, live birth rates, STD rates)

Community Mapping Stage  Data Collection Tools:  Volunteer/Walker & Talker Intake Form  Adult Survey  Adolescent Survey  Service Site Survey  Physician surveys  Inventory of Sources for Non-Prescription Contraceptives Survey

Volunteer and Walkers & Talkers Intake Form  Purpose:  To establish a baseline profile for each person who is a volunteer for the Plain Talk program  Key Points of Measurement:  Demographic information  Reading, writing, and speaking skills

Adult Survey  Purpose:  To better understand the thoughts and opinions of adults in the community  Key Points of Measurement:  How adults feel about adolescent sexual health and sexuality in their community  Whether they feel comfortable talking to teens about sex  If they know where teens can go to get information about sex

Adolescent Survey  Purpose:  To better understand the thoughts and opinions of adolescents in the community  Key Points of Measurement:  How teens feel about sex  Whom they feel comfortable talking to about sex  Where they go to get information about sex

Physician Survey and Service Site Survey  Purpose:  To learn about health care services offered to the community as well as the access to contraceptives  Key Points of Measurement:  Health care services offered  Demographics of patients  Physician’s and health care staff’s thoughts and opinions regarding adolescent sexual health

Inventory of Sources for Non- Prescription Contraceptives Survey  Purpose:  To better understand where contraceptives are made available in the community  Key Points of Measurement:  Available contraceptives  Prices of contraceptives  Helpfulness of clerks and/or staff

Home Health Party and Walkers & Talkers Stage  Data Collection Tools:  Volunteer/Walker & Talker Update Form  Home Health Party Forms  Community Forum Reports  Pre/Post Tests  Interviews, focus groups, staff observations, photos

Volunteer and Walkers & Talkers Update Form  Purpose:  To update and keep current the profile of the volunteer/Walker & Talker  Key Points of Measurement:  Attendance  Level of involvement/Participation  Training progression

Home Health Party Form  Purpose:  To establish a baseline profile for each Home Health Party  Key Points of Measurement:  Location of Home Health Party  Topics covered  Demographics of participants

Community Forum Report  Purpose:  To disseminate results of the Community Mapping and/or present special sexual health topics to larger Plain Talk community gatherings.  Key Points of Measurement:  Location of Community Forum  Topics covered during forum  Demographics of participants

Pre/Post Tests for Data Collection  Pregnancy Prevention Pre/Post Test  STDs and HIV/AIDS Pre/Post Test  Purpose:  To assess the breadth of sexual health material each participant learned from the Home Health Parties

Plain Talk Participant and Staff Qualitative Feedback  Staff online journals to record observations of the Plain Talk implementation process  Interviews with staff  Focus groups

Online Journals  The purpose of the online journal is to record the implementation and maintenance of the Plain Talk program in each community. Sites are to record:  Experiences, observations, and interactions during Plain Talk community events and the distribution of survey results.  Experiences, observations, and interactions during volunteers/Walkers & Talkers' surveying of the Plain Talk community.  Experiences, observations, and interactions during Home Health parties.  Observations, experiences, and feedback from the Plain Talk program site staff.  Any other observations, interactions, or experiences involving the community response (i.e. openness to Plain Talk, willingness to participate, interest in survey results, etc.).

Focus Groups  The purpose of focus groups are to evaluate:  Adults who have participated in Plain Talk  Adolescents who have participated in Plain Talk  Adults and/or teens who have participated in Home Health Parties  Video and/or audio tapes will be used to record exactly what is said in the focus group as well as examine facial expressions, body language, and group dynamics so that all major discussion points offered by the participants will be recorded.  However, prior to analyzing, using, and sharing any focus group information with any other researchers, the focus group transcription will be stripped of any personal information (such as name, birth date, and address)

Other Ideas: Qualitative Data  Brawley, CA is using focus groups to gather additional information as well as help secure federal grant money.  St. Paul, MN is developing a “Plain Talk PLUS” to analyze different effects of participants attending additional Plain Talk sessions on topics such as peer pressure and dating violence.  New Orleans used an ethnographer during the Plain Talk demonstration phase  Naranjito, PR is currently using an ethnographer

Plain Talk website