An evaluation of a school-based teenage pregnancy prevention program using a logic model framework

Teenage pregnancy and the subsequent social morbidities associated with unintended pregnancies are complex issues facing school nurses in their daily work. In contemporary practice, school nurses are being held to higher standards of accountability and being asked to demonstrate the effective outcomes of their interventions. The purpose of this article is to describe a logic model framework and how it can be used by school nurses in the development, implementation, and evaluation of school-based programs. A logic model framework that is dynamic and responsive will help to build consensus and be a "map" of the program goals, activities, and outcomes. An example of a teenage pregnancy prevention program will be reviewed to demonstrate how a rural community used this framework for ongoing program evaluation and outcome identification in a school-based setting. Specific recommendations for school nurses who wish to use a logic model framework will also be discussed.