Public Librarians: Partners in Adolescent Health Promotion

ABSTRACT

The goal of this research was to examine U.S.-based librarians’ history of training on public health topics and their comfort delivering adolescent-focused public health interventions. A total of 269 library staff from 37 states completed a brief online survey. Eighty-four percent of respondents stated that their library had hosted public health programs for youth ages 10–17. Eighty-five percent reported they would be interested or very interested in facilitating an intervention focused on youth (ages 10–17). Ninety-eight percent of participants reported receiving training on at least one public health topic. The most common trainings reported were related to infectious diseases, including COVID (82.9%) and adolescent health and development (78.4%). Most participants were comfortable discussing public health topics, such as sexual and reproductive health (83.6%), adolescent health and development (82.5%), substance use (81.4%), and infectious diseases (81%). Having learned about the topic on their own and having had experience related to the topic were the most common reasons stated for feeling comfortable discussing public health topics with youth. These findings suggest that librarians are interested in and comfortable enough to serve as resources for health promotion among adolescents when adequately trained.

KEYWORDS:

• Public libraries
• adolescent health
• health promotion
• intervention delivery

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the librarians who participated in this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Terrinieka W. Powell

Terrinieka W. Powell, PhD, is a Bloomberg Associate Professor and Vice Chair for Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism and Equity in the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (BSPH). She earned her BA in Psychology from Williams College and her MA and PhD from DePaul University in Community Psychology. She also spent two years as a Kellogg Health Scholars Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Michigan School of Public Health before joining the faculty BSPH. She has expertise in adolescent health, implementation science and qualitative methods. Partnerships with churches, schools, libraries, families, and community-based organizations are a cornerstone of her research.

Bianca D. Smith

Bianca Smith, MPH, is a doctoral student in the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She received her B.S. in Microbiology from Michigan State University and MPH from University of Georgia. Her areas of research interest include health disparities, adolescent and young adult health, structural determinants of health, and social epidemiology.

Asari Offiong

Asari Offiong, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (BSPH). She received her BS in Brain Behavior and Cognitive Science from the University of Michigan, MPH from Boston University and her PhD from BSPH. Her areas of research are focused on taking a youth-centered, mixed-methods approach to addressing substance use, and sexual and reproductive health.

Quiana Lewis

Quiana Lewis, MPH, is a doctoral student in the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She received her B.S. in Psychology from Fisk University and MPH from Yale University. Her research interests are in public health policy specific to families and housing, and its impacts on adolescent health.

Olivia Kachingwe

Olivia Kachingwe, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (BSPH). She received her BA in Health & Societies from University of Pennsylvania, MPH from Brown University and her PhD from the University of Maryland. Her areas of interests revolve around adolescents and young adults, sexual and reproductive health, particularly Black fatherhood, and health disparities.

Ashleigh LoVette

Ashleigh LoVette, PhD is a postdoctoral fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. She earned her BA in Communication, MA in Health & Risk Communication from Michigan State University and PhD in Behavioral and Social Health Sciences from Brown University. Her research uses strengths=based and community-based approaches to improve the sexual and mental health of marginalized youth, both in the US and abroad.

Andrea Hwang

Andrea Hwang, BS, is a masters student in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (BSPH). She received her BS in Public Health and minor in Psychology from the University of California San Diego. Her research interests include improving health education and promotion among vulnerable populations, specifically related to mental health.