Quasi-experimental Study of Systematic Screening for Family Planning Services among Postpartum Women Attending Village Health and Nutrition Days in Jharkhand, India

Abstract

Background:Systematic screening helps increase family planning uptake through integration with other services, including immunization. Though successfully demonstrated at health facilities, this strategy has not been demonstrated in communities. This study assessed the effectiveness of systematic screening to increase postpartum family planning use during community health days in India without adversely affecting immunization services.Methods:The study was conducted during 180 individual Village Health and Nutrition Days in Jharkhand, India. All health workers were trained in postpartum family planning counseling. Intervention providers were also trained in systematic screening. 217 postpartum women aged 15–49 years participated in baseline and endline exit interviews and routine service statistics were analyzed from 2,485 facility visits at affiliated health centers.ResultsNo difference in family planning service use was found in the intervention group, but significantly fewer interviewed women reported receiving family planning services at endline in the comparison group (p = 0.014). Family planning acceptance at affiliated health centers increased significantly in intervention areas (p < 0.001) but not in comparison areas, while immunization service use increased in both groups (p = 0.002 intervention, p < 0.001 comparison).Conclusions:The use of the postpartum systematic screening tool appears to increase acceptance of family planning services when integrated with community-based services in Jharkhand.

Effectiveness of Health Education Interventions Methods to Improve Contraceptive Knowledge, Attitude, and Uptake Among Women of Reproductive Age, Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…The finding of this review was similar to the cohort study conducted in Zimbabwe and Nigeria. 37,38 Nevertheless, the pooled effect size of the study conducted by Balasubramaniam et al, 39 Azmat et al, 31 and Charles-eromosele and Odeyemi 40 were 1.1%, 7.4%, and 1.8%, respectively. These researchers used only routine counseling and face-to-face lecture health education delivery methods.…”

Understanding feasibility and acceptability of implementation of linking delivery of family planning and infant vaccination care in rural Maharashtra, India: a qualitative study

“…Offering the option of multiple opportunities to engage with family planning providers could remove perceived barriers to contraception use in the postpartum period. Prior research demonstrated that screening for interest in family planning services at village health and nutrition days where vaccinations occur in India was associated with an increase in women later seeking family planning services through the public health system [ 15 ]. We propose a strategy to utilize the infant vaccination visit as an opportunity to reach postpartum women in the community to provide family planning care, including all reversible contraceptive methods through integrated maternal-infant health care visits [Theme 2: Linking contraceptive care and infant vaccination is perceived as potentially feasible and acceptable to implement by families, health workers, and community members].…”

“…Integration of postpartum family planning into infant vaccination services has been recommended as a strategy to improve family planning uptake worldwide by leveraging existing public health infrastructure. However, the effectiveness of this approach has not be consistently demonstrated [15][16][17][18]. In India, immunization services are one of the most widely implemented and successful public health programs [19].…”

“…Six-week vaccination rates are high, around 85% [ 20 ], indicating that these services are routinely used by families of infants, which provides an opportunity to reach postpartum women and couples outside of health clinics where they are in their communities. Prior research demonstrated that screening for interest in family planning services at VHNDs in India was associated with an increase in women later seeking family planning services through the public health system [ 15 ]. However, provision of family planning counseling and contraceptive methods at the time of vaccination services has not been studied in India.…”

Immediate postplacental insertion of intrauterine contraceptive device (copper 375) and its complications in term of expulsion, infection and perforation

“…An intrauterine device (IUD) is the most widely used method of contraception with approximately14.3 % of female contraceptive users prefer the IUD, globally [4,5]. 2 It is coitus-independent, reversible and effective form of contraception with immediate contraceptive action and have advantages: ease of insertion, minimal adverse impacts on breast feeding and cost effectiveness [6,7].…”