Contraception Behavior
Conditions
Keywords
Contraceptive Self-efficacy, Reproductive Empowerment, Videogame
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to measure the impact of the What's My Method game on participants' sense of agency, education, and empowerment around contraceptive decision-making. Patients receiving standard of care contraceptive counseling will be compared to those who play the game in addition to counseling.
Detailed description
Contraceptive self-care has been identified by the WHO as critical to achieving milestones for female empowerment and well-being. This focus reflects a shift in global public health attitudes regarding contraceptive provision from a top-down approach, where childbearing persons receive directives from medical providers, towards an approach that encourages self-determination and individual agency. Implementing contraceptive counseling and education through the lens of reproductive empowerment requires that the focus of the intervention be on the childbearing persons and their needs. There is a clear need for improvement in contraceptive counseling in Barbados. As per the United Nations dashboard, the modern contraceptive prevalence rate is 49% and providers report that abortion is often used as birth control. Digital health interventions have been validated as successful high-impact practices to support healthy reproductive behaviors. These interventions include SMS campaigns , artificial intelligence-based chatbots, and interactive websites which provide information and offer tools to help choose appropriate methods. These studies demonstrate that digital media are an effective way to reach the target audience and communicate information about reproductive health. Barbadian clinics have not yet integrated digital technology to support CC; they rely on pamphlets and posters for information dissemination. This study seeks assess the impact of supplementing SOC counseling with a digital game that provides detailed information about family planning methods, their benefits and side effects. The information is communicated through using animations and images and reinforced through experimentation and context.
Interventions
OTHERPlaying a contraception education videogame
The WMM game is divided into three parts- a reproductive anatomy quiz (Parts), an interactive tool for education about each individual birth control method (Methods), and a section in which players help avatar couples choose the most effective method for them.
Sponsors
Barbados Family Planning Association
Quinnipiac University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
This is a 2 arm randomized controlled trial comparing standard of care (SOC) counseling alone to What's My Method? (WMM) gameplay in addition to SOC.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 48 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* \- English-speaking * Capable of using a tablet * Childbearing individuals * Individuals/Couples seeking family planning counseling (one response collected per couple)
Exclusion criteria
* Unable to provide informed consent due to intellectual or physical impairment - Under the age of 18 unless accompanied by a parent
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Contraceptive Self-Efficacy (CSE) score | 30-70 minutes | Participants will complete a survey after their contraceptive counseling appointment |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Method Adoption | 30-70 minutes | Participant will indicate if they desire a method and obtain or request an appointment to obtain said method |
| Qualitative feedback on game intervention | 50-90 minutes | Group that played the game will complete 4 question assessment of experience |
Countries
Barbados
Outcome results
None listed