173-176 Gould

The methodology described in this article was developed to transcend the limitations of both approaches. Its goal is to use existing data to identify small areas with high levels of adolescent childbearing. The method is an active approach to identify what can be defined as “hot spots” for adolescent births, even when they are located in counties or communities where adolescent births are not considered a universal problem. In a time of limited resources, such mapping has become increasingly imperative to ensure the most judicious use of the resources that are available. The methodology also has potential for use in measuring specific outcomes for targeted program interventions over time and comparing communities that are testing the efficacy of different kinds of interventions.