Using Human-Centered Design to Develop an Innovative Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program: Lessons Learned from a Case Study

Abstract

While teen birth rates are at an all-time low for the United States, teen pregnancy remains a public health concern as significant disparities remain among demographic groups and geographical regions. There are 40+ evidence-based programs (EBPs) available, yet few exist for rural populations. This article describes how through a community-academic partnership, a community-based organization (CBO) in a rural town of North Carolina developed an innovative teen pregnancy prevention, game-based learning program for youth, Using The Connect (UTC) through a human-centered design (HCD) approach. The final program entailed a set of educational games focused on: adolescent growth and development, communication, decision-making, facilitating safe connections between youth and adults in their community, and accessing information. This manuscript describes the program development process, explains how youth voice was incorporated through HCD strategies, describes results from usability testing of the prototypes, and lessons learned for program development.