Postpartum Green Star family planning decision aid for pregnant adolescents in Tanzania: a qualitative feasibility study

摘要

The use of a decision aid in clinical settings has been beneficial. It informs and educates patients about the available treatment options that can help them reduce decision-making conflicts related to feeling uninformed compared with routine care. There is a scarcity of published data about using a decision aid during family planning counseling with postpartum women focusing on long-acting reversible contraception in Tanzania. Therefore, we developed a “postpartum Green Star family planning decision aid” and assessed its feasibility. The study outcomes were practicality, usefulness, and acceptability perceived by pregnant adolescents and nurses/midwives. We used an exploratory qualitative in-depth interview involving six nurses/midwives with three or more years of experience in family planning services and 12 pregnant adolescents aged 15–19?years. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants, and selection relied on the saturation principle of data collection. We used a semi-structured interview guide translated into the Kiswahili language. Data were transcribed and analyzed following inductive content analysis. The amount of information presented was just right, with the time of reading the data ranging from 20?min to 1?h. The study participants perceived the flow of information to be good, with small significant changes suggested. Kiswahili language was used and reported to be appropriate and well elaborated. However, a few words were told to be rephrased to reduce ambiguity. The nurses/midwives said that the decision aid included most of the vital information the participants wanted to know during their family planning counseling. Pregnant adolescents stated that the decision aid improved their knowledge and provided new details on the long-acting reversible contraception methods (intrauterine copper devices and implants) offered immediately after childbirth. The participants stated that the decision aid addressed long-acting reversible contraception methods’ benefits and side effects and dispelled myths and misconceptions. The study participants considered the decision aid helpful in complementing the family planning counseling offered and improving pregnant adolescents’ knowledge. The postpartum Green Star family planning decision aid was practical, useful, and acceptable in enhancing the objectivity of counseling about long-acting reversible contraception methods. It improved the knowledge of pregnant adolescents in Tanzania about the available contraception methods (i.e., the use of intrauterine copper devices and implants), which can be immediately used postpartum. Further research is needed to assess the effects of the decision aid on long-acting reversible contraception postpartum uptake among pregnant adolescents in Tanzania. This study assessed the practicality, usefulness, and acceptability of the decision aid we developed for pregnant adolescents in Tanzania. The study was conducted at Amana District Hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. For the study participants, six nurses/midwives with three or more years of experience in family planning services and 12 pregnant adolescents aged 15–19?years were recruited for in-depth interviews using a semi-structured interview guide with five questions. Study participants felt that the decision aid written in the Kiswahili language included important information that women wanted to know during counseling about long-acting reversible contraception options. The amount of information presented was just right, with the time of reading the data ranging from 20?min to 1?h. Study participants recommended that nurses/midwives implement the decision aid to ensure comprehension of the presented information and pictures. The decision aid was perceived to help improve knowledge and address several myths and misconceptions and the benefits and side effects of each long-acting reversible contraception option. Study participants recommended several changes: the flow of information needed reorganization, and some Kiswahili words needed rephrasing to reduce ambiguity. Notably, the study participants accepted the decision aid for use in clinical settings. It contained evidence-based information useful for complimenting the family planning counseling offered, particularly for long-acting reversible contraception methods. The decision aid helped improve the objectivity of counseling regarding long-acting reversible contraception methods. It imparted valuable knowledge to pregnant adolescents in Tanzania about the contraception methods (i.e., the use of intrauterine copper devices and implants) that are immediately available after childbirth. Additional studies are needed to examine the effects of the decision aid on pregnant adolescents in Tanzania to uptake long-acting reversible contraception methods after childbirth.