Running head: TEENAGE PREGNANCY

Teenage Pregnancy: A Social Marketing Campaign

Tiana Burdeshaw, Jacqueline Falcon, Gema Gonzalez, Tania Mejia and Jessica West
California State University of San Bernardino

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Abstract
Teen pregnancy rates in San Bernardino County were examined. The rates showed that teen
pregnancy is a problem due to racial and socioeconomic disparities. The negative outcomes for a
young mother were identified; they include poor health outcomes for the mother and baby,
increased likelihood of low socioeconomic standing, and social obstacles. To combat these
negative outcomes, our team formed a social marketing campaign to target high-school students
in the San Bernardino County. The social marketing campaign was modeled using the social
learning theory, behavioral economic theory, and the health belief model.
Keywords: teen pregnant, teen mothers, San Bernardino County pregnancy rates

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Teenage Pregnancy: A Social Marketing Campaign
Teen birth rates have been on a steady decline since 1991 in recent years. Although there
has been a decrease overall, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2015) still
consider teen birth rates problematic, due to racial disparities. Non-Hispanic Black youth,
Hispanic/Latino youth, American Indian/Alaska Native youth, and socioeconomically
disadvantaged youth of any race or ethnicity experience the highest rates of teen pregnancy and
childbirth. Together, Black and Hispanic teens comprised 57% of U.S. teen births in 2013
(Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). From 2011-2013 San Bernardino County
reported 31.8 live births for every 1,000 females aged 15-19 (Healthy San Bernardino County,
2015). Teen pregnancy and childbearing also takes a heavy toll on a teens body and is
associated with negative health outcomes for both the mother and the child (CDC, 2015). Teens
who get pregnant usually lack early prenatal care resulting in higher medical risks and
complications. In addition, teens have a higher chance of not regularly attending their prenatal
visits due to transportation problems, interpersonal problems, or a lack of support from family
and friends. Lack of prenatal care can lead to undiagnosed health risks to mother or child
including but not limited to, anemia, high blood pressure, premature birth, low birth weight, and
depression (Teen Pregnancy Statistics, 2009). Young mothers have a higher chance of having
postpartum depression; they are more likely to feel alone without the support of their peers or
friends and fall into depression. Postpartum depression can make it very difficult to care for an
infant and is not emotionally healthy for the teen (WebMD, 2014).
There are predetermined predictors of low socioeconomic status and teenage pregnancy.
From the time the teenager concevieces to the time the teenager gives birth there has been a

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strong correlation between the teenagers socioeconomic status and their sex practices. In one
study, teens whose parents had not completed high school were two and one-half times more
likely to have had sexual intercourse than teens whose parents had graduated from college
(Center for Mental Health UCLA, 50). Having a child at a young age does not only hinder teen
mothers at that time, but it continues throughout the childs and mothers life. Women who have
children during their teen years tend to have low levels of education, employment, and earnings,
and high levels of dependence on public assistance (Hoffman, 2012). Teen years are valued as
an important part of a young persons life, where completing high school is an essential part to a
successful financial future. The young mother will have less time to socialize with her peers and
engage in high school activities due to added responsibilities. The teen mother will lose out on
the high school experience; prom, football games, and graduation because of low income and no
extra time to engage in leisure activities. The effects of having children at a young age will affect
the child later on in life. The children of teen mothers are more prone to be young parents
themselves, perpetuating the low social economic cycle, compared to the children of older
parents (Hoffman, 2012). This provides evidence that having a child at a young age produces
unforeseen consequences including limited time and options for the young mother.
According to the CDC (2015), in 2013 together, Black and Hispanic teens comprised
57% of U.S. teen births in 2013. With the rates of teenage pregnancy being high amongst
blacks and Hispanics, it is imperative to have an effective health campaign that identifies all the
influencing determinants of the health behavior. As a team, we have developed a teenage
pregnancy prevention campaign that addresses the environmental factors, the individual, and the
individuals behavior to effectively influence change consistent with the Ecological Model that

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considers various levels of impact on health (DiClemente, Salazer, & Crosby, 2013). The teenage
pregnancy campaign focuses on the positive outcomes of contraceptives by explaining,
predicting, and influencing the behavior of teens through social learning (Frost & Forrest, 1995).
The purpose of the teenage pregnancy campaign is to reduce the incidence of teenage
pregnancies amongst black and hispanic racial groups through the promotion of contraceptives.
The teenage pregnancy campaign will represent the advantages and drawbacks to pregnancy by
showing the image of a teenager hanging out with her friends and a teenager at her home with
her baby. The teenage pregnancy campaign will include a slogan and statistics promoting safe
sex practices. Our campaign is a poster targeted at parents, teenagers, teachers, and community
members through social media; Instagram. Our campaigns message will emphasize
contraception, decision-making, self-esteem enhancement, and communication skills through a
connection between the teenager and our campaigns image and slogan (Frost & Forrest, 1995).
To reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancies, our health promotion campaign followed the
guidelines of the: (a) social learning theory, (b) behavioral economics, (c) health belief model,
and (d) social marketing strategies. By pinpointing the factors that contribute to unsafe sex
practices through theories, we can create an effective teenage pregnancy campaign.
One of the major factors to unsafe sex practices is the lack of knowledge and low selfefficacy, with the social marketing model as a frequently used tool, we will target social and
physical determinants (e.g environment, access to medical care, social support, cultural,
socioeconomic status, and policy) of the health behavior. We expect teenagers to observe others
in a social setting. Our campaign will address the sociostructual factors in access to care through
teenage pregnancy statistics. By including statistics on teen pregnancy and safe sex practices, we

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hope to increase our target audiences knowledge of the accessibility of contraceptives and
change the idea that they are not immune to becoming the statistic.
While the social learning theory addresses the idea that teenagers follow others in regards
to unsafe sex practices, behavioral economics helps us understand decision making and
preferences in their environment and how teenagers allocate resources to engage in activities
they value (DiClemente et. al, 2013). Our campaign helps teenagers make the decision to have
safe sex by using contraceptives as well as, addressing the rewards of using contraceptives. We
aim to promote the idea that a teenager needs to take care of themselves before they can take care
of someone else. Teenagers are insensitive to the idea that it will not happen to them, so to
understand teenage pregnancy we should understand that human health is a social matter, not
just an individual one (DiClemente et. al, 2013). That more than likely what they learned about
sex was in the home, school, and friends through observation and discussions. The idea that
teenage pregnancy stems from a social norm and not what an individual believes. A teenager is
taught in a social institution what is right or wrong when it comes to safe sex. Therefore, what a
teenager is taught in society is what they will know in regards to contraceptives and safe sex.
Teens tend to perceive a threat and expected gain when adopting a health behavior
through the health belief model. Their perceived severity and susceptibility are affected by
knowledge on the subject of unplanned pregnancy. In our campaign the perceived threat is
pregnancy by showing the negative consequences of having unsafe sex practices. It is essential to
show a high risk outcome of unprotected sex, so that teenagers can understand the severity of
what it means to take a step towards a better health behavior. It is essential to use statistics to
address the likelihood and severity of negative and positive outcomes of implementing safe sex

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practices. The campaign will highlight the expected net gain such as graduating high school and
enjoying time with friends.
Our social marketing campaign was designed to promote safe sex with the objective of
decreasing the incidence of teen pregnancy rates in San Bernardino County. The campaign was
designed to show teenagers that unprotected sex will lead to pregnancy. An image was created to
be advertised on social media sites, making it easily accessible to the targeted teenage
demographic. The images are easily relatable to our audience, as the poster features two highschool age girls and a teen mother side by side. The poster reads, One Time can lead to a
lifetime. Use a condom and birth control every time to prevent pregnancy. This message could
be perceived in many ways, all emphasizing the costs and negative outcomes of unprotected sex.
Teenagers who come in contact with our poster, will come to understand that they are not
immune to becoming the statistic and will implement the use of contraceptives. With the help of
our social marketing campaign, San Bernardino County will see a decline in the rates of teenage
pregnancy.

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References
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015) About Teen Pregnancy. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/teenpregnancy/about/index.htm
Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA. (2008). Teen Pregnancy Prevention and Support.
Los Angeles, CA: Author.
DiClemente, R.J, Salazar, L.F, & Crosby R.A. (2013). Health Behavior Theory for Public
Health. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Frost, J.J & Forrest, J.D. (1995). Understanding the Impact of Effective Teenage Pregnancy
Prevention Programs. Family Planning Perspecives, 27(5). Retrieved from
https://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/2718895.html
Healthy San Bernardino County. (2015). Teen Birth Rate. Retrieved from
http://www.healthysanbernardinocounty.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=NSIndicator&file=indicator&iid=2492
Hoffman, Saul D., and Maynard, Rebecca A., eds. Kids Having Kids : Economic Costs and
Social Consequences of Teen Pregnancy (2nd Edition). Washington, DC, USA: Urban
Institute Press, 2012. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 2 November 2015.
Teen Pregnancy Statistics. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.teenpregnancystatistics.org/
WebMD. (2014). Health & Pregnancy. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/teenpregnancy-medical-risks-and-realities