Use of a Community Readiness Survey to Determine Local Attitudes toward Latina Teen Pregnancy

Malena Fitting

In Jackson County, Latina teens are more than twice as likely to get pregnant than are non-Hispanic White teens. Studies have shown that unintended teen pregnancy can result in a variety of negative outcomes for both mother and child. The purpose of this study was to perform a Community Readiness Assessment of Jackson County, Oregon to determine the community's readiness to address the problem of unintended teen pregnancy rates among local Latina teens. Fifteen key informants were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. The informants' responses were quantitatively scored and the results were combined to give an overall readiness score for Jackson County. The county received a score of four, which is considered the "preplanning stage". This result indicates that interventions should be directed toward raising awareness of the issue of Latina teen pregnancy and building community support for addressing it.