Simmons Ballroom 1
Monday, October 29, 2007: 10:45 AM-12:00 PM

M3: M-3 Strategies for Implementation: Action in the Consumer Workgroup of the CDC Preconception Health and Health Care Initiative

The first meeting of the Consumer Workgroup was devoted to discussing and deciding who our target audience is and prioritizing activities necessary to implement the above-stated recommendations to be lead by the Workgroup.

We agreed that we could segment our audience into two groups: women with resources and women who have challenges and obstacles in obtaining information and access to health care. We noted that the first group tended to encompass women who planned their pregnancies, while the second group included more women likely to experience unplanned pregnancies.

There was consensus to work on the following implementation strategies:

1. Include/integrate preconception health messages in our respective work.
2. Conduct a community-based participatory research project to assess self-perceived needs about preconception health information and care among women with low-incomes, minority women and women at higher risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes.
3. Compile consumer self-assessment tools (see www.mombaby.org)
4. Conduct research to determine which types of health promotion and education messages can be bundled effectively.
5. Develop social marketing portfolios for a wide range of audiences.