EPI, a Missed Opportunity for Postpartum Family Planning Utilization

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The global unmet need for postpartum family planning remains high, while immunization services are among the most widely utilized health services. Most women in the extended postpartum period want to delay or avoid future pregnancies but many are not using a modern contraceptive method. Establishing systematic screening, counseling, and referral systems from different contact points particularly from infant immunization units may improve family planning access and uptake in the extended postpartum period. Hence, this study is aimed to assess the effect of counseling for family planning at immunization units on postpartum contraceptive uptake during the extended postpartum period.

Detailed Description
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Background: The global unmet need for postpartum family planning remains high, while immunization services are among the most widely utilized health services. Most women in the extended postpartum period want to delay or avoid future pregnancies but many are not using a modern contraceptive method. Establishing systematic screening, counseling, and referral systems from different contact points particularly from Expanded Program for Immunization (EPI) units may improve family planning access and uptake in the extended perinatal period. Therefore, this study is proposed to assess the effect of counseling for family planning at immunization units on postpartum contraceptive uptake during the extended postpartum period. To do this, a before-and-after type of quasi-experimental study will be conducted in purposively selected health centers in Sidama, South Ethiopia. All mothers coming to the selected health centers for infant immunization services will be screened for, counseled, and referred for family planning. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire will be used to collect quantitative data from a total of 1474 randomly selected women coming to purposively selected health centers before and after the intervention. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusting for possible confounding variables will be computed.

Official Title
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Expanded Program for Immunization, a Missed Opportunity for Postpartum Family Planning Utilization: A Quasi Experimental Study

Conditions
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Contraception

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: counseling for family planning


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: all women visiting the selected health facilities at least two times during the pre-intervention period will be included Exclusion Criteria: No exclussion critera

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 15 Years
Maximum Age: 49 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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Female

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| pre-intervention group<br>mothers included for the pre-intervention assessment of contraceptive prevalence rate in the selected health centers | |
| post intervention group<br>mothers included for the post-intervention assessment of contraceptive prevalence rate in the selected health centers | Behavioral: counseling for family planning<br>* all mothers presented to infant immunization units of the selected health centers will be counseled for family planning service and referred to the family planning unit if they decided to use.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| improved contraceptive uptake | the contraceptive utilization rate will be increased after the initiation of the intervention | March 3, 2021 |