Promoting family planning: findings from operations research and program research.

During the 1980s formative and summative operations research (OR) techniques began to be applied to family planning (FP) information education and communication (IEC) activities. The OR application resulted in activities in which increased effectiveness was more easily documented. This paper summarizes findings on the use of OR techniques in FP/IEC as follows. 1) The quality of interpersonal communications between providers and clients affects FP clinic attendance method initiation and method continuation. While supporting materials and training enhance the performance of providers the influence of these interventions on acceptance or continuation is not known. Communication is more effective however when promoters supply the methods directly. Special problems in communicating with young people require special approaches. 2) Interpersonal communication with peers has a positive effect on encouraging people to try a FP method and peer promoters have been successful in the workplace. 3) Social marketing of contraceptives depends on OR for its successful design and implementation. Sales are highly sensitive to promotion and advertising and initial government resistance to promotional activities tends to diminish over time. Social marketing programs must pay attention to the skills of various retailers. 4) The mass media especially radio and television is a major source of FP information and mass media promotion generates conversations between spouses and within communities stimulates information seeking raises clinic attendance and increases the use of FP and safe sex methods. Often people are ahead of policy-makers in their desire to obtain more FP information from the media. While printed media is not as effective in developing countries carefully designed material can be effective for special audiences. The status of health care providers and acceptance of FP can be raised by mass media references. 5) The enter-educate approach which uses entertainment to teach can influence the attitudes and behavior of millions. While professionals must be enlisted to create a successful program commercial sponsors will share the costs of well-designed products. OR techniques and findings have proved to be essential in strengthening modern health communication.