Resumen de An mHealth SMS intervention on Postpartum Contraceptive Use Among Women and Couples in Kenya: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Elizabeth K. Harrington, Alison L. Drake, Daniel Matemo, Keshet Ronen, Alfred O. Osoti, Grace John-Stewart, John Kinuthia, Jennifer A. Unger
Objectives. To assess the effect of 2-way short message service (SMS) with a nurse on postpartum contraceptive use among individual women and couples.Methods. From 2016 to 2017, we conducted a randomized controlled trial at 2 public hospitals in western Kenya. We assigned eligible pregnant women to receive 2-way SMS with a nurse or no SMS, with the option to include male partners. We delivered automated family planning?focused SMS messages weekly until 6 months postpartum. Women and men receiving SMS could interact with nurses via SMS. In intention-to-treat analysis, we compared highly effective contraceptive (HEC) use at 6 months postpartum between groups using the ?2 test. We used Poisson regression in adjusted analysis.Results. We randomized 260 women to 2-way SMS or control, and we enrolled 103 male partners. At 6 months postpartum, 69.9% women receiving SMS reported HEC use, compared with 57.4% in control (relative risk?=?1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI]?=?1.01, 1.47; P?=?.04). In analysis adjusted for baseline demographic differences, the adjusted relative risk for HEC use in the SMS group was 1.26 (95% CI?=?1.04, 1.52; P?=?.02).Conclusions. Two-way SMS with a nurse, including optional male participation, increased postpartum contraceptive use.Trial Registration. ClinicalTrials.gov; identifier: NCT02781714.
