Mara Decker, DrPH
Associate Professor
Institute for Health Policy Studies
School of Medicine
Mara Decker is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies and the Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health. She oversees a portfolio of applied research projects and evaluations focusing on sexual and reproductive health both domestically and globally.
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She is the Principal Investigator of a randomized control trial that combines in-person health education with digital technology and was designed with youth. In addition, she directs the evaluation of California’s sexual health education programs and a bi-national qualitative study of unaccompanied youth migrants. Her research interests include the intersection between health and other developmental issues including policies, human rights, social ecology, and empowerment. Most of her work involves mixed qualitative and quantitative methods. She is dedicated to identifying and reducing health disparities through the development and assessment of interventions designed with community partners.
She teaches "Women's Health and Empowerment" in the Master of Science in Global Health program at UCSF and "Evaluation of Health and Social Programs" at UC Berkeley. She is a member of California’s Adolescent Sexual Health Work Group and the UC Center of Expertise on Women’s Health and Empowerment.
Education & Training
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- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training University of California, San Francisco 2021
- MHS School of Public Health Johns Hopkins University
- BA International Relations Pomona College
- DrPH School of Public Health University of California, Berkeley
Interests
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- demographic change and the environment
- youth and adolescents
- human rights
- health and empowerment
- social epidemiology
- social ecology
- Sexual and reproductive health
- applied research
- global health and development
- program evaluation
- health disparities
Videos
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Publications (29)
Top publication keywords:
Health Services AccessibilityReproductive HealthFamily Planning ServicesSex EducationPregnancy in AdolescenceAdolescentContraception BehaviorSexual BehaviorAdolescent Health ServicesMaternal Health ServicesBirth RateSexual HealthSexually Transmitted DiseasesContraceptionReproductive Health Services
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In the Know: A Cluster Randomized Trial of an In-person Sexual Health Education Program Integrating Digital Technologies for Adolescents.
The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2024 Yarger J, Gutmann-Gonzalez A, Borgen N, Romero J, Decker MJ -
Implementation of a Booster Sexual Health Education Curriculum for Older Adolescents in Rural Communities.
Health promotion practice 2024 Berglas NF, Harrison S, Romero J, Borgen N, Decker MJ -
Contraceptive access experiences and perspectives of Mexican-origin youth: a binational qualitative study.
Sexual and reproductive health matters 2023 Mitchell A, Gutmann-Gonzalez A, Brindis CD, Decker MJ -
Addressing anti-black racism in an academic preterm birth initiative: perspectives from a mixed methods case study.
BMC public health 2023 Rutman SP, Borgen N, Spellen S, King DD, Decker MJ, Rand L, Cobbins A, Brindis CD -
Pursuing Research Justice Through Community-Academic Partnership to Address Racial Disparities in Preterm Birth.
Progress in community health partnerships : research, education, and action 2023 Rutman SP, Price M, Williams S, Jones L, Williams-Burt H, Decker MJ, Franck LS, Fuchs JD, Brindis CD
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Using Collective Impact to Advance Birth Equity: A Comparison of Two Cross-Sector Efforts in California.
Maternal and child health journal 2022 Decker MJ, Price M, Harrison S, Spellen S, Hutchings N, Martinez E, Rutman SP, Shaver A, Franck LS, Brindis CD, Fuchs J -
Integrated Theory-Based Health and Development Interventions for Young People: A Global Scoping Review.
Health education & behavior : the official publication of the Society for Public Health Education 2022 Decker MJ, Gutmann-Gonzalez A, Saphir M, Nguyen NT, Zhi Q, Brindis CD -
Improving Adolescent Perceptions of Barriers and Facilitators to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services Through Sexual Health Education.
The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2022 Decker MJ, Zárate CG, Atyam TV, Saphir M -
Youth perceptions and concerns about sexually transmissible infections versus pregnancy: a qualitative comparative study in California.
Sexual health 2022 Decker MJ, Borgen N, Gutmann-Gonzalez A, Brindis CD -
The need for booster sex education: findings of a formative evaluation in rural Fresno County, California
Sex Education 2022 Berglas NF, Yang C, Gutmann-Gonzalez A Decker MJ -
Monitoring unplanned sexual health curricula adaptations: Using results to improve fidelity and support implementation.
Evaluation and program planning 2022 Decker MJ, Price M, Unti L, Firpo-Triplett R, Atyam T, Spitzer J, Coyle K -
Educators' Perspectives on Integrating Technology Into Sexual Health Education: Implementation Study.
JMIR human factors 2022 Decker MJ, Harrison S, Price M, Gutmann-Gonzalez A, Yarger J, Tenney R -
Adolescents' perceived barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive health services in California: a cross-sectional survey.
BMC health services research 2021 Decker MJ, Atyam TV, Zárate CG, Bayer AM, Bautista C, Saphir M -
Young people's romantic relationships and sexual activity before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
BMC public health 2021 Yarger J, Gutmann-Gonzalez A, Han S, Borgen N, Decker MJ -
Bridging the Gap between Sexual Health Education and Clinical Services: Adolescent Perspectives and Recommendations.
The Journal of school health 2021 Decker MJ, Dandekar S, Gutmann-Gonzalez A, Brindis CD -
Youth-centered maternity care: a binational qualitative comparison of the experiences and perspectives of Latina adolescents and healthcare providers.
BMC pregnancy and childbirth 2021 Decker MJ, Pineda N, Gutmann-Gonzalez A, Brindis CD -
Perspectives on Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Strategies in the United States: Looking Back, Looking Forward.
Adolescent health, medicine and therapeutics 2020 Brindis CD, Decker MJ, Gutmann-Gonzalez A, Berglas NF -
Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Intervention Integrating Technology and In-Person Sexual Health Education for Adolescents (In the Know): Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.
JMIR research protocols 2020 Decker MJ, Gutmann-Gonzalez A, Price M, Romero J, Sheoran B, Yarger J -
Trends in Adolescent Birth Rates in California: Examining the Influence of Community Characteristics Through Geographic and Temporal Analysis.
The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2019 Yarger J, Berglas NF, Campa M, Chabot M, Decker MJ -
Neighborhoods matter. A systematic review of neighborhood characteristics and adolescent reproductive health outcomes.
Health & place 2018 Decker MJ, Isquick S, Tilley L, Zhi Q, Gutman A, Luong W, Brindis CD -
Assessing youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services: a systematic review.
BMC health services research 2018 Mazur A, Brindis CD, Decker MJ -
Rural-Urban Differences in Awareness and Use of Family Planning Services Among Adolescent Women in California.
The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2016 Yarger J, Decker MJ, Campa MI, Brindis CD -
Implementation in Practice: Adaptations to Sexuality Education Curricula in California.
The Journal of school health 2016 Arons A, Decker M, Yarger J, Malvin J, Brindis CD -
Exploring neighborhood-level factors influencing adolescent birth rates in California
Youth and Society 2016 Decker M, Gutmann-Gonzalez A, Lara D, Brindis CD. 2019; 51(1) 49-72. -
Exploring how residential mobility and migration influences teenage pregnancy in five rural communities in California: youth and adult perceptions.
Culture, health & sexuality 2016 Lara D, Decker MJ, Brindis CD -
A Call to Action: Developing and Strengthening New Strategies to Promote Adolescent Sexual Health
Societies 2015 Decker M, Berglas NF, and Brindis CD -
Factors associated with contraceptive use in Angola.
African journal of reproductive health 2011 Decker M, Constantine NA -
Women front and center: the opportunities of involving women in participatory health research worldwide.
Journal of women's health (2002) 2010 Decker M, Hemmerling A, Lankoande F -
Reaching youth through franchise clinics: assessment of Kenyan private sector involvement in youth services.
The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2006 Decker M, Montagu D