A randomized community trial of enhanced family planning outreach in Rakai, Uganda

Tom Lutalo, Godfrey Kigozi, Edward Kimera, David Serwadda, Maria J. Wawer, Laurie Schwab Zabin, Ronald H. Gray

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

A randomized community trial of a family planning outreach program was conducted in Rakai District, Uganda. Five communities received standard services; six intervention communities received additional family planning information, counseling, and contraceptive methods from government service providers and community-based volunteer agents using social marketing and other strategies. Condom use was promoted in all of the communities. The community-based family planning outreach program was implemented in two phases-1999-2000 (early) and 2001 (late)-and its impact was evaluated by means of population surveys in 2002-03. At follow-up, hormonal contraceptive prevalence was 23 percent in the intervention communities, compared with 20 percent in the control communities. The differential was greater in the early-intervention communities than the late-intervention communities. Pregnancy rates at follow-up were 15 percent in the control and 13 percent in the intervention communities. No differentials in condom use were found between study arms. Family planning outreach via social marketing can significantly increase hormonal contraceptive use and decrease pregnancy rates, but the impact of this outreach program was modest.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)55-60
Number of pages6
JournalStudies in family planning
Volume41
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2010

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Demography
  • Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

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