The effects of text reminders on the use of family planning services

Evidence from a randomised controlled trial in urban Mozambique

Datos Bibliográficos

ID21879299
AutoresJessica Leight (0000-0002-1691-9682, International Food Policy Research Institute, autor de correspondencia), Catherine Hensly (0000-0001-8453-8163, American University), Marcos Chissano (Population Services International, Maputo, Mozambique), Elana Safran (0000-0002-6673-562X, Office of Evaluation Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia, USA), Nor Liza Ali (0000-0002-4955-6865, Population Services International, Maputo, Mozambique), Liza Ali, Domingos Dustan (Population Services International, Maputo, Mozambique), Julian Jamison (0000-0003-2671-1153, University of Exeter)
Año2022
Volumen7
Número4
Páginase007862
Fecha de publicación2022-04-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaBMJ Global Health (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 2059-7908 • E-ISSN: 2059-7908
EditorialBMJ (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1136/bmjgh-2021-007862
PMID35428679
OpenAlexW4223995671
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas3
Referencias citadas31

INTRODUCTION: Reduction of unmet need for contraception is associated with enhanced health outcomes. We conducted a randomised controlled trial in Mozambique analysing the effects of text messages encouraging use of family planning services. METHODS: This trial was conducted within a sample of women served by the Integrated Family Planning Program implemented by Population Services International, in which community health workers provide clinic referrals for family planning services. The evaluation enrolled 5370 women between 20 January and 18 December 2020 who received a referral, reported access to a mobile phone and provided consent. Women were randomly assigned to a treatment group that received a series of text message reminders encouraging them to visit a clinic or to a control arm. An intention-to-treat analysis was conducted to analyse the effect of reminders on the probability of a clinic visit and contraceptive uptake. The final analysis includes 3623 women; 1747 women were lost to follow-up. RESULTS: Women assigned to receive the text reminders are weakly more likely to visit a clinic (risk difference 2.3 percentage points, p=0.081) and to receive a contraceptive method at a clinic (2.2 percentage points, p=0.091), relative to a base rate of 48.0% and 46.9%, respectively. The effect on clinic visits is larger and statistically significant in the prespecified subsample of women enrolled prior to the COVID-19-related state of emergency (3.2 percentage points, p=0.042). CONCLUSION: Evidence from this trial suggests that text message reminders are a promising nudge that increases the probability that women receive contraception. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: AEARCTR-0005383

Environmental health · Family medicine · Family planning · Population · Randomized controlled trial · Referral · COVID-19 Impact on Reproduction · Global Maternal and Child Health · Medicine · Mobile Health and mHealth Applications