Building Community Support Using a Modified World Café Method for Pregnant and Parenting Teenagers in Forsyth County, North Carolina.

Abstract

To identify community priorities, foster awareness of existing supports, and recognize barriers and opportunities to enhance support services for pregnant and parenting teens (PPTs). A modified World Café event incorporated parallel, rotating focus groups with semistructured, case-based discussions of salient issues. The event was organized and took place in Forsyth County, North Carolina. Seventy-eight local health and social service professionals and 15 PPT representatives. Qualitative coding was used to thematically analyze transcript data. Quantitative data pre-/post-event comparisons were made using Fisher exacttest. Key community-based support services for PPTs were identified. Qualitative analysis yielded 10 key codes regarding barriers and opportunities to enhance community-based support services, resulting in 4 themes. Themes included maximizing access and efficient delivery of high-quality health care, engaging a 3-generation approach to meet the current and future needs of at-risk families, focusing efforts to meet the unique needs of each teen and his/her family, and emphasizing teen self-advocacy. Pre/post survey responses were overwhelmingly positive regarding use of the modified World Café format for discussion and network building. The modified World Café Method offered a platform to collaboratively identify challenges and opportunities and to develop networks to improve health and well-being of PPTs. Engaging multiple stakeholders in meaningful dialogue might foster multidisciplinary, cross-sector collaboration that mitigates risk and enhances resilience among PPTs and their children.