1. Table 1. Home Health Party Results
Home Health Parties: A peer education model that utilizes community social networks Sarabeth Shreffler, MPH, CHES Tammi Fleming, MPH, CHES Public/Private Ventures Market St., Suite 600, Philadelphia, PA 19103
PLAIN TALK BACKGROUND
Plain Talk is a community-driven strategy that addresses adolescent reproductive health issues including teen pregnancy, STDs and HIV/AIDS. Developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Plain Talk model has proven effective in African American and Latino communities, by working to improve adult-teen communication and increase the quantity and quality of adolescent reproductive health services in the community. Public/Private Ventures serves as the national office for the Plain Talk program. Currently there are over 20 Plain Talk sites in the continental United States and Puerto Rico.
WHAT IS A HOME HEALTH PARTY?
The primary educational component of Plain Talk is implemented through Home Health Parties, which are small group workshops that educate adults and parents on reproductive health issues and teach them the importance of communicating this knowledge to their children and other adolescents in the community. The goal of Home Health Parties is to help recruit more Askable Adults in the community, which will, in turn, increase the accuracy and frequency of adult-teen communication about adolescent reproductive health issues. Home Health Parties are conducted by Walkers & Talkers or peer educators in the homes of community residents. Home Health Party hosts can be recruited through many outreach activities such as door-to-door solicitation, other Plain Talk events or through Home Health Parties that are hosted by other community residents. Once recruited, the Home Health Party hosts are responsible for inviting their neighbors and/or family members to participate, which utilizes and reinforces their social networks in the community.
During the two-session Home Health Party format, four topics are covered: Reproductive Anatomy & Physiology, Birth Control Methods, STDs & HIV/AIDS, and Communication Strategies. Flipcharts, pamphlets and other educational materials used in the Home Health Parties are developed by ETR Associates.
HOME HEALTH PARTY FORMAT
STRATEGIES TO MONITOR AND ANALYZE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PEER EDUCATION
Sites’ progress of the Plain Talk implementation is monitored through an online database system, where they enter information on the Home Health Parties conducted. Key points of measurement include the location of the Home Health Party and participant demographics.
Pre/Post tests are administered to measure participant knowledge on the four Home Health Party topics before and after each session are completed. There are 2 different pre/post tests:
1) Reproductive Anatomy/Birth Control Measures
2) STD Transmission and Communication Skills
Each test has 20 true/false questions that are graded as 1 point each.
Sites also keep track of community forum presentations. These presentations can cover a wide array of topics such as the Community Mapping survey results or more specific reproductive health topics. Key points of measurement include the location and topic of the meeting and participant demographics.
Walkers & Talkers are encouraged to keep observational journals that track experiences, observations, and interactions during community events, Home Health Parties and other outreach activities.
PRELIMINARY FINDINGS
The following are some preliminary findings from three anonymous Plain Talk sites that are in various implementation stages of the 3 year program cycle. Statistical significance is when the number is below The significance score of is the probability that the average improvement from pre-post test scores occurred by chance—that is, there is a % probability that the improvement in test results were due to the educational intervention of the Home Health Parties.
Table 1. Home Health Party Results
Site
Total # of
Home Health Parties
Total # of duplicated participants
Total # of unduplicated participants
Avg # of participants at the 1st session
Avg # of participants at the 2nd session
Site 1
120
829
459 7
Site 2
110
606
316 6 5
Site 3 38
260
111
Session 1
Session 2
Activity Time (min)
Activity Time (min)
Introduction 5
Sign-In-Sheet
Confidentiality Discussion
Ground Rules 10
Ice-Breaker Activity
Pre-Test
Community Mapping Results 15
Lesson 3: STD Transmission and Prevention 25
Lesson 1: Anatomy & Reproductive System
Lesson 4: Adult/Teen Communication Skills 40
Lesson 2: Birth Control Methods
Questions and Answers
Post-Test
Raffle/Door Prizes
ACTUAL PARTY TIME
2 hours
Table 2. Reproductive Anatomy and Birth Control Measures Paired Samples T-Test
Site N
Mean
Pre/Post
Test Score
Std.
Deviation
Std. Error Mean
95% Confidence Interval
T Score DF
Sig.
(2-tailed)
Lower Upper
Site 1
404
13.8/17.5
403
0.000*
Site 2
316
14.5/17.2
315
Site 3 98
16.1/18.5
-7.945 97
Table 3. STD Transmission and Communication Skills Paired Samples T-Test
Site N
Mean
Pre/Post
Test Score
Std.
Deviation
Std. Error Mean
95% Confidence Interval
T Score DF
Sig.
(2-tailed)
Lower Upper
Site 1
390
13.8/16.8
389
0.000*
Site 2
293
13.9/15.4
292
Site 3
106
15.9/18.0
-6.429
105
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