Multiple encounters of pregnant women with the health care system during the late antenatal and immediate postpartum period provide a gateway for postpartum family planning counselling. Counselling on family planning services during this time is considered effective and cost-efficient for promoting healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies. This research aims to test the effectiveness of mobile phone-based interventions in promoting use of postpartum contraception.
The study will be a three-arm, 10-month, multicentre, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial which will be conducted at 15 Suraj social franchise(SF) health facilities in Punjab province of Pakistan. Pregnant women aged 15-44 years who are in their first or second trimester and have a mobile phone for their own use will be eligible to participate in this study. The participants will be randomly allocated to one of three study arms: a) voice and text messages; b) interactive telephone-based counselling; or c) control arm (no additional phone-based support). The intervention counselling module will be developed based on the Integrated Behaviour Model which was recently adapted, and tested for the family planning context in Pakistan. It will broadly cover birth-preparedness, birth spacing and contraception, and postnatal care. The phone-based intervention aims to improve women's ability to use contraception by providing them with information about a range of methods, access to family planning methods through outlets such as Suraj SF providers, connecting them with MSS field health educators to help them reach the centres, motivation by re-enforcing the benefits of contraceptive use on women's quality of life, and dispelling myths and misconceptions about modern contraceptive methods. Risk differences will be used as the measure of effect of the intervention on the outcomes.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
970
Participants in this study arm will periodically receive information regarding antenatal- and postnatal care and family planning services through text and voice messages from the fifth gestational month until the post-partum period of 42 days.
Participants in this study arm will receive information regarding antenatal- and postnatal care and family planning services through periodic interactive phone calls from the fifth gestational month until the post-partum period.
Suraj Social Franchise
Hafizabad, Punjab Province, Pakistan
Suraj Social Franchise
Jhang, Punjab Province, Pakistan
Suraj Social Franchise
Kasur, Punjab Province, Pakistan
Suraj Social Franchise
Toba Tek Singh, Punjab Province, Pakistan
Postpartum Contraceptive Uptake
Proportion of subjects enrolled in each of the three groups who adopt any modern family planning method to delay next pregnancy
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of six months
Skilled Birth
Proportion of women who gave birth in a health facility or through a skilled birth professional
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of six months
Immunisation
Proportion of women reported to immunise the newborn at birth
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of six months
Intention to Adopt Modern Contraception
The proportion of subjects enrolled in the program who state that they intend to adopt any modern family planning method to delay their next birth by 24 months (by type contraceptive method and time within 42 days of postpartum period)
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of six months
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.