Running head: WEXFORD COUNTY

Group Scholarly Paper: Wexford County

By: Tracy Stark, Chelsea Dick, & Jamie Wertz
Ferris State University

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Group Scholarly Paper: Wexford County
Introduction

Teen pregnancy is an issue in Wexford County. The comparison of Wexford

County with the state and national level of teen births indicates a need for a community
health analysis. Teen pregnancy is measured by the U.S. Census Bureau in rates per
1,000 births, for teens 15 to 19, and includes live births, abortions, and estimated
miscarriages. In Wexford County, the teen pregnancy rate is 54.9 per 1,000 births, which
is higher than the amount of teen pregnancies within the counties of District 10 at 49.3,
and Michigan at 48.3, and is higher than the national average of 29.4 (District Health
Department #10 [DHD #10], 2013) & (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014).
Analysis
There are several factors that contribute to the identifiable differences between
Wexford County and its surroundings. According to DHD #10 (2013), there are 1,024
people per health care provider and 10,922 people per mental health care provider in
Wexford County (p. 7). These statistics are five times higher in Wexford County for
individuals per mental health care provider than the same ratio of individuals in the entire
state of Michigan. Access to health care due to cost is also significantly lower in Wexford
County than in surrounding counties and the entire state (DHD #10, 2013). According to
DHD #10 (2013), Wexford County children ages 0 to 17 remain at a higher level of
poverty than children of the same age in the rest of the state. The level of education in
Wexford County is also substantially lower than the average in the state of Michigan,
both for high school graduates and individuals who have obtained a Bachelors degree or
higher (DHD #10, 2013). All of these factors combined contribute to a higher incidence

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of teenage pregnancy in Wexford County. Lack of education and lack of access to regular
health care providers due to cost are major influences contributing to the rise in teenage
pregnancies in Wexford County.
A theory that may help explain these differences would be the Social Learning
Theory, developed by Alfred Bandura in 1977. According to McLeod (2011) the Social
Learning Theory states behavior is learned from the environment through the process of
observational learning (para. 1). In the Social Learning Theory it is clear that role
models play an extremely important part in the lives of all individuals, especially
teenagers in this case. Role models can range from social influences on television (16 and
Pregnant), siblings, peers, and parents. Since Wexford County is one of the lesser
educated counties, it could be likely that a higher number of teens have friends that are or
have been pregnant, or maybe that their parents had given birth to them at an early age.
Observing behaviors of role models that teenagers idolize or identify with, often leads to
an adoption of their ideas, values, beliefs, etc. These situations have the potential to
elevate the likelihood of teenage pregnancies in Wexford County. Although teen
pregnancy has been on the decline over the past decade, the United States still has the
highest teen pregnancy rate of any western industrialized country (Teenage Pregnancy
Prevention Initiative [TPPI], 2013). This indicates, if youre a girl in this country, you
have a 34% chance of becoming pregnant by the time youre 20 (TPPI, 2013).
District Health Department #10 was one of four agencies in the state to receive
funding from the Michigan Department of Community Health to implement the Teen
Pregnancy Prevention Initiative (TPPI, 2013). Reducing the rate of teen pregnancy in
Wexford County is one of the goals of this initiative. The Teen Pregnancy Prevention

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Initiative will use the Safer Choices course to encourage abstinence as the safest choice
in evidence-based pregnancy prevention (TPPI, 2013). The program will also offer more
responsible alternatives to unprotected sex. The Safer Choices course teaches about
sexually transmitted infections and healthy relationships, as well as applicable
communication and refusal techniques to help teenagers reduce their risk of unplanned
pregnancy (TPPI, 2013).
Part of the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative includes the Teens 4 Healthy
Choices online blog. It offers a variety of local resources such as the District Health
Department #10 Family Planning Program that focuses on sexually transmitted infections
testing, HIV counseling and education and pregnancy detection (TPPI, 2013). The
additional existing resources available to address teen pregnancy in Wexford County are:
the Wexford Adolescent Wellness Center, the CareNet Pregnancy Resource Center, and
the OASIS Family Resource Center. The CareNet Pregnancy Resource Center focuses on
pregnancy testing, support during pregnancy, parenting classes, community referrals,
adoption referrals, and short-term and long-term assistance (TPPI, 2013). The Oceana
Prevention Partnership for Change is also a resource for the teens in Wexford County.
This website has a trendy appearance and talks about the myths and facts about sex. The
website has links to other resources provided by the state. The website also offers
information on other common teen health problems they can research and even call help
hotlines if necessary.
Although there is an abundant list of community resources for teens and their
families to turn to regarding teen pregnancy prevention and education, teen pregnancy is
still occurring in Wexford County. Many factors contribute to why teens are still getting

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pregnant despite efforts from local, state, and national resources to aid in prevention. The
community resources available to the teens through the District Health Department #10
website are not currently operating. The Teens 4 Healthy Choices Facebook page created
as a resource exists, however the links provided connecting to the resources result in page
not found. Some teenagers actually want to get pregnant and most teenagers are feeling
pressured to have sex. Other reasons why teenagers are getting pregnant include rape,
peer pressure, inconsistent use of birth control, and abstinence-only education, which
leaves out birth control education completely. Additionally, some states prohibit any
form of sex education (The Reasons Teens Get Pregnant, 2014).
The evidence that supports the analysis of data within Wexford County related to
teen pregnancy can be found within the U.S. Census Bureau. According to the data
collected, teen pregnancy in Wexford County occurs in 54.9 per 1,000 teen girls
compared to the state level at 48.3 per 1,000 (Michigan Department of Community
Health, 2013). Wexford County has a higher rate of teen pregnancy compared to the state
and national average. This evidence proves there is a need for a nursing intervention.
Other disciplines involved in addressing the teen pregnancy problem in Wexford
County should include the educational facilities in which the teens and their parents
attend. By talking about sex and the consequences of having a child as a teen, the teens
are less likely to involve themselves in acts to hinder their future. Allowing college
students to talk to the teens at the schools they attend would be beneficial because teens
generally look up to those who are closer in age. Parents in this community should
communicate with their children openly and use available resources as a guideline for
introducing and discussing the topic of engaging in sexual behavior, which can lead to

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teenage pregnancy. Parents can take an active role in preventing promiscuous behavior in
their teens by monitoring social media exposure, whereabouts, and peer relationships.
Problem Statement
Teens are at risk for pregnancy related to educational level, parents playing an
active role in teens life, which includes open communication between teens and parents
in a trusting relationship, and sexual health education. These modifiable factors related to
teens in the Wexford County community are measured using District Health Department
statistics reported in the U.S. Census Bureau.
SMART Goal
The number of births to girls age 15 to 19 in Wexford County will be reduced by
educating the population about the risks, increasing parental involvement, and creating
sexual health classes to reduce teenage pregnancy from 54.9 to 40.0 per 1,000 births in
one year.
Conclusion
Teen pregnancy is an issue in Wexford County. It is important to invest time and
effort to enhance the educational programs currently available. The online resources
should be easily accessible, up-to-date, and tailored to the teen audience. The community
and its health care workers should be held accountable for the programs and activities
created to help achieve the SMART goal. In following these guidelines, the SMART goal
we have created is attainable for Wexford County teens.

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References

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). FastStats: Teen births. National
Center for Health Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/teenbirths.htm
District Health Department #10. (2013). Health Profile Chartbook 2013 - Wexford
County. Retrieved from http://www.dhd10.org/images/Wexford_Chartbook_
2013__Feb_18_2014.pdf
Hamilton, B. E., Martin, J.A., Osterman, M. J.K., Curtin, S. C., (2014). Births:
Preliminary data for 2013. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services;
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Center for Health Statistics;
National Vital Statistics Reports. 63 (2). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/
data/nvsr/nvsr63/nvsr63_02.pdf
McLeod, S. A. (2011). Bandura - Social learning theory. Simple Psychology. Retrieved
from http://www.simplypsychology.org/bandura.html
Michigan Department of Community Health. (2013). Wexford county health profile
summary 2013. US Census Bureau; County Health Rankings; MI Department of
Technology, Management and Budget; Michigan League for Public Policy;
Michigan Care Improvement Registry. Retrieved from http://dhd10.org/images
/Summary_Wexford_Chartbook_Feb_25_2014.pdf
Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative (TPPI). (2013). Retrieved from http://teens4healthy
choices.wordpress.com/
The Reasons Teens Get Pregnant. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.teenhelp.com/ teenpregnancy/teen-pregnancy-reasons.html