Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Aug;49(2 Suppl 1):S107-15.
doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2015.03.030.

Community Education for Family Planning in the U.S.: A Systematic Review

Marion W Carter  1 , Michelle L Tregear  2 , Susan B Moskosky  3
Affiliations

Community Education for Family Planning in the U.S.: A Systematic Review

Marion W Carter et al. Am J Prev Med. 2015 Aug.

Abstract

Context: Community education may involve activities that seek to raise awareness and promote behavior change, using mass media, social media, and other media or interpersonal methods in community settings. This systematic review evaluated the evidence of the effects of community education on select short- and medium-term family planning outcomes.

Evidence acquisition: Using an analytic approach drawn from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, multiple databases were searched for articles published from January 1985 through February 2011 describing studies of community education related to family planning in the U.S. Included articles were reviewed and assessed for potential bias using a standardized process in 2011. An updated, targeted review for the 2011-2014 period was conducted in early 2015.

Evidence synthesis: Seventeen papers were identified. Most (nine) related to mass media interventions; three involved targeted print media, two involved text messaging or e-mail, two described outcome workers conducting community education, and one involved community theater. Study designs, strength of evidence, and levels of possible bias varied widely. Twelve of 15 studies that addressed outcomes such as increased awareness found positive associations with those outcomes, with six also reporting null findings. Seven of eight studies that addressed use of services reported positive associations, with two also reporting null findings. The targeted, additional review identified two other studies.

Conclusions: Evidence related to community education for family planning purposes is limited and highly variable. As goals of community education are usually limited to shorter-term outcomes, the evidence suggests that a range of approaches may be effective.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Analytic framework and key questions guiding the community education systematic review.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Flow diagram of the systematic review process for community education.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Public Health Service: Grants for Family Planning Services. 10-1-00 ed DHHS; 2000. 42 CFR Part 59 Subpart A.
    1. Tregear SJ, Gavin LE, Williams JR. Systematic review evidence methodology: providing quality family planning services. Am J Prev Med. 2015;49(2S1):S23–S30. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Harris RP, Helfand M, Woolf SH, et al. Current methods of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force: a review of the process. Am J Prev Med. 2001;20(3 suppl):21–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(01)00261-6. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Chin HB, Sipe TA, Elder R, et al. The effectiveness of group-based comprehensive risk-reduction and abstinence education interventions to prevent or reduce the risk of adolescent pregnancy, human immunodeficiency virus, and sexually transmitted infections: two systematic reviews for the Guide to Community Preventive Services. Am J Prev Med. 2012;42(3):272–294. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2011.11.006. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kirby D. Emerging Answers 2007: Research Findings on Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy and Sexually-Transmitted Diseases. National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy; Washington, DC: 2007.

Publication types

MeSH terms