Promoting Science‐based Approaches to Teen Pregnancy Prevention: Proactively Engaging the Three Systems of the Interactive Systems Framework

Abstract

In the field of teen pregnancy prevention many efficacious prevention programs are available but adoption of these programs is slow at the community level. In this article, we present a multi-site, capacity-building effort called the Promoting Science-based Approaches to Teen Pregnancy Prevention project (PSBA) as a case example of a proactive application of the Interactive System Framework (ISF) for dissemination and implementation. The ISF is a multi-system model leading to dissemination and implementation of science-based prevention programming through the work of three interactive systems: The "Prevention Delivery," "Prevention Support," and "Prevention Synthesis & Translation" Systems. This article describes the proactive use of the ISF to conceptualize and bolster the PSBA program's goal of assisting local prevention partners in the use of science-based approaches (SBA) to prevent teen pregnancy. PSBA uses all three systems of the ISF to facilitate practice improvements and offers valuable research opportunities to investigate factors related to dissemination and implementation processes across these systems. Describing our application of this framework highlights the feasibility of actively using the ISF to build prevention infrastructure and to guide large-scale prevention promotion strategies in the area of teen pregnancy prevention. The program's ongoing evaluation is presented as an example of early efforts to develop an evidence base around the ISF. Research implications are discussed.

Four Keys to Success (Theory, Implementation, Evaluation, and Resource/System Support): High Hopes and Challenges in Participation

“…It provides a framework for understanding the needs, barriers, and resources of the different systems, and a structure for summarizing existing research and illuminating priority areas for new research and action. Lesesne et al (2008) describe the most elaborate use of the GTO system model to date within the context of the ISF: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Promoting Science Based Approaches (PSBA) project to prevent teen pregnancy prevention. The following description is excerpted from Lesesne et al The project is being conducted with three national organizations, nine state organizations, and four regional training centers to provide technical assistance to build capacity for effective prevention in *100 local prevention programs.…”

Effective School Teams: Benefits, Barriers, and Best Practices

“…However, the 10-step GTO process has been applied to a variety of content areas in diverse settings. For example, the GTO process has been used to develop manuals for Teen Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention (Lesesne et al, 2008 ), promoting Developmental Assets (Fisher, Imm, Chinman, & Wandersman, 2006 ) and Systems of Care for children's mental health (Levison-Johnson, Dewey, & Wandersman, 2009 ). An emerging research base extols the benefi ts of using GTO to plan, implement, and evaluate interventions (Chinman et al, 2005 ;Flaspohler, Meehan, Maras, & Keller, 2012 ) ( Fig.…”

Researchers, Practitioners, and Funders: Using the Framework to Get Us on the Same Page

“…The work of Lesesne et al (2008) takes the use of the ISF to another level. While the other works in this special issue have superimposed their existing work on the newly developed framework, Lesesne et al provide an example of how the ISF can be proactively and explicitly used to guide prevention work.…”

“…Lesesne et al (2008) discussed the bi-directionality of the arrows connecting the subsystems. That is, while we think of the energy moving from research to support to delivery, they point out that the delivery systems can and should influence the work of the support systems and that both should help guide the work of the research community.…”