Preconception Peer Educators (PPE) Program
Overview
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In May 2007, the Office of Minority Health (OMH), of the Department of Health and Human Services launched A Healthy Baby Begins with You – a national campaign to raise awareness about infant mortality with an emphasis on the African American community – as one of our efforts to end health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities.
Campaign Goals
- Extend and continue broad infant mortality awareness campaign; add preconception and inter-conception health messages.
- Develop activities targeted to the 18+ population.
- Reach the college-age population with targeted health messages emphasizing preconception health and healthcare.
- Train minority college students – blacks in particular – as peer educators and health ambassadors.
- Increase OMH involvement with colleges and universities, in particular minority serving institutions such as HBCUs.
- Strengthen OMH leadership at the local level through the establishment of working partnerships with Healthy Start Programs, State/City Health Departments, State OMHs and CBOs.
Preconception Peer Educators (PPE) Program
Since research has shown that preconception health is one of the most important and less emphasized aspects influencing birth outcomes and maternal and infant health, we are retooling our campaign to start earlier in women and men’s lives.
Working with the college age population, and enlisting college students as peer educators not only in college campuses but also in the community at large will help disseminate essential preconception health messages that may seem too foreign for a population that may not be actively seeking to start a family. Because over 50% of all pregnancies are unplanned, it is imperative to provide all women, and in particular sexually active women and their partners, with information to make timely, informed decisions about their reproductive futures.
Goals of the Preconception Peer Educators (PPE) Training
- Reach the college-age population with targeted health messages emphasizing preconception health and healthcare.
- Train minority college students as peer educators.
- Arm the peer educators with materials, activities and exercises to train their peers in college and in the community at large.
Key Concepts for the Training
- Health disparities and minority health
- Infant mortality
- African American health status and its impact on infant mortality
- Preconception health, infant mortality and prematurity – What research says
- Preconception care
- HIV, STDs and preconception health
- What a man would do
Once trained in the preconception curriculum, the college students will receive a Certificate of Completion. OMH and its partners will link the students with Healthy Start Programs, State/City Health Departments, State OMHs and community based organizations for placement in summer internships, volunteer or paid work opportunities.
Pilot Sites
- Fisk University
and Meharry Medical College
– Nashville, Tenn.
- Spelman College,
Atlanta
- Morgan State University,
Baltimore, Maryland
- University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing,
Philadelphia, PA
Accomplishments
- Conducted the Higher Knowledge, Higher Service. First College to Community Health Outreach Week, in Memphis, TN. May 17-23, 2009.
- Our spokesperson Tonya Lewis-Lee produced a 30 minutes documentary and a series of shorter pieces about the PPE program and infant mortality. It was filmed at Spellman College and at the Memphis week of events. These pieces should serve as recruiting and educational tools for the continuation and expansion of the program.
- Launched the documentary Crisis in the Crib. Saving Our Nation’s Babies which is currently being used as a recruitment and awareness tool in cities across the country. To watch the documentary visit: http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/templates/content.aspx?lvl=2&lvlID=117&ID=8178
- Organized regional trainings in Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Maryland/DC, in February and March, 2010 and will have one in Florida in July.
For more information: http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov or email us at info@minorityhealth.hhs.gov.