How the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Impacted Teen Pregnancy Rates in GA Counties: A Quantitative Study
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Authors
Trese Flowers
Issue Date
2026-01-01
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Public health education , Behavioral sciences , Public policy , Teen Pregnancy
Alternative Title
Abstract
This quantitative correlational study examined whether participation in the federally funded Morehouse School of Medicine Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative (TPPI) affected teen birth rates in selected counties compared to demographically matched comparison counties. This research was guided by the Public Health Model, with a focus on the following three research questions: What has been the impact of the federally funded Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Program on teen pregnancy rates in targeted Georgia counties?, What other contributing factors or social determinants of health influence teen pregnancy rates in targeted counties in Georgia?, and How does the political climate impact the programs and services available to address teen pregnancy? To effectively address these questions, secondary data were obtained from the Georgia Department of Public Health’s OASIS system and U.S. Census QuickFacts. For reliable and statistically sound analyses, both descriptive statistics and chi-square tests of association were conducted. The analyses showed that teen birth rates declined across all counties from 2010 to 2024. Although TPPI counties began with higher baseline rates, they experienced steeper declines during program implementation and sustained reductions afterward. Education, socioeconomic status, and race were all significant predictors of teen birth rates, and political affiliation patterns differed between TPPI and comparison counties. These findings have important implications for the allocation of fiscal and human resources, the design of programs and services, and the development of policies aimed at reducing teen pregnancy and improving adolescent health.
Description
1 electronic record (PDF). Flowers_valdosta_1462D_10429.pdf and metadata, 4.22 MB.
Citation
Flowers, Trese. "How the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Impacted Teen Pregnancy Rates in GA Counties: A Quantitative Study," D.P.A. diss., Valdosta State University, 2026. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10428/7663.
Publisher
Valdosta State University