Opportunities for linking research to policy: lessons learned from implementation research in sexual and reproductive health within the ANSER network.

BACKGROUND: The uptake of findings from sexual and reproductive health and rights research into policy-making remains a complex and non-linear process. Different models of research utilisation and guidelines to maximise this in policy-making exist, however, challenges still remain for researchers to improve uptake of their research findings and for policy-makers to use research evidence in their work. METHODS: A participatory workshop with researchers was organised in November 2017 by the Academic Network for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Policy (ANSER) to address this gap. ANSER is a consortium of experienced researchers, some of whom have policy-making experience, working on sexual and reproductive health and rights issues across 16 countries and 5 continents. The experiential learning cycle was used to guide the workshop discussions based on case studies and to encourage participants to focus on key lessons learned. Workshop findings were thematically analysed using specific stages from Hanney et al.'s (Health Res Policy Syst 1:2, 2003) framework on the place of policy-making in the stages of assessment of research utilisation and outcomes. RESULTS: The workshop identified key strategies for translating research into policy, including joint agenda-setting between researchers and policy-makers, as well as building trust and partnerships with different stakeholders. These were linked to stages within Hanney et al.'s framework as opportunities for engaging with policy-makers to ensure uptake of research findings. CONCLUSION: The engagement of stakeholders during the research development and implementation phases, especially at strategic moments, has a positive impact on uptake of research findings. The strategies and stages described in this paper can be applied to improve utilisation of research findings into policy development and implementation globally.

Quality of care in family planning services in rural Mozambique with a focus on long acting reversible contraceptives: a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: In Mozambique, both the government and partners have undertaken efforts over the last decade to improve FP (family planning) services, especially through training health care providers and promoting the uptake of LARCs (Long Acting Reversible Contraceptives). Despite this, uptake of FP methods has not increased significantly. This study aims to examine women's knowledge on LARCs, including their main sources of information, and the quality of care of FP services in rural areas. METHODS: We conducted a repeated cross-sectional study, interviewing 417 women leaving FP consultations in 15 health facilities in Maputo Province, Mozambique. The main quality outputs measured were: 1)discussed, preferred and received contraceptive methods, 2)information received on usage and side-effects, 3)client-provider interaction, 4)being informed about the need for a follow-up visit 5)health examinations conducted and travel time to the facility. In addition, knowledge on LARCs was measured among the clients as well as sources of information regarding FP methods. Taking into account the design effect of the study, Chi-square statistics were used to detect differences between groups and linear regression analyses to identify associations between sources of information and higher knowledge. RESULTS: We found that IUDs (intrauterine devices) and implants were discussed in 23 and 33% of the consultations respectively, but only administered in a very few cases(< 1%). Half of the women were counselled on side-effects of contraceptives; this did not differ between first time clients and follow-up clients. Almost all women(98%) were satisfied with the received service and 83% of the women found the waiting time acceptable. Health examinations were performed on 18% of the women. Overall, women's knowledge about LARCs was poor and misconceptions are still common. Women who had received FP information through outreach activities had better knowledge than those counselled at a facility. CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights that only a minority of the women received information regarding LARCs during the consultation and that usage is almost non-existent. Counseling about all types of contraceptives during the consultation is sub-optimal, resulting in poorly informed clients. Multifaceted long-term interventions, focusing on both users and providers, are needed to improve uptake of contraceptives (including LARCs) in rural areas.

The impact of facility audits, evaluation reports and incentives on motivation and supply management among family planning service providers: an interventional study in two districts in Maputo Province, Mozambique.

BACKRGOUND: Good progress is being made towards universal access to contraceptives, however stock-outs still jeopardize progress. A seldom considered but important building block in optimizing supply management is the degree to which health workers feel motivated and responsible for monitoring supply. We explored how and to what extent motivation can be improved, and the impact this can have on avoiding stock-outs. METHODS: Fifteen health facilities in Maputo Province, Mozambique, were divided into 3 groups (2 intervention groups and 1 control), and 10 monthly audits were implemented in each of these 15 facilities to collect data through examination of stock cards and stock-counts of 6 contraceptives. Based on these audits, the 2 intervention groups received a monthly evaluation report reflecting the quality of their supply management. One of these 2 groups was also awarded material incentives conditional on their performance. A Wilcoxon-Mann Whitney test was used to detect differences between the groups in the average number of stocked-out centres, while changes over time were verified through applying a Friedman test. Additionally, staff motivation was measured through interviewing health care providers of all centres at baseline, and after 5 and 10 months. To detect differences between the groups and changes over time, a Kruskal Wallis and a Wilcoxon signed-rank test were applied, respectively. RESULTS: Motivation reported by providers (n = 55, n = 40 and n = 39 at baseline, 1st and 2nd follow-up respectively) was high in all groups, during all rounds, and did not change over time. Facilities in the intervention groups had better supply management results (including less stock-outs) during the entire intervention period compared with those in the control group, but the difference was only significant for the group receiving both material incentives and a monthly evaluation. However, our data also suggest that supply management also improved in control facilities, receiving only a monthly audit. During this study, more stock-outs occurred for family planning methods with lower demand, but the number of stock-outs per family planning method in the intervention groups was only significantly lower, compared with the control group, for female condoms. CONCLUSIONS: While a rise in motivation was not measurable, stock management was enhanced possibly as a result of the monthly audits. This activity was primarily for data collection, but was described as motivating and supportive, indicating the importance of feedback on health workers' accomplishments. More research is needed to quantify the additional impact of the interventions (distribution of evaluation reports and material incentives) on staff motivation and supply management. Special attention should be paid to supply management of less frequently used contraceptive methods.

Improving adolescent sexual and reproductive health in Latin America: reflections from an International Congress.

In February 2014, an international congress on Promoting Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) took place in Cuenca, Ecuador. Its objective was to share evidence on effective ASRH intervention projects and programs in Latin America, and to link this evidence to ASRH policy and program development. Over 800 people participated in the three-day event and sixty-six presentations were presented.This paper summarizes the key points of the Congress and of the Community Embedded Reproductive Health Care for Adolescents (CERCA) project. It aims at guiding future ASRH research and policy in Latin America. 1. Context matters. Individual behaviors are strongly influenced by the social context in which they occur, through determinants at the individual, relational, family, community and societal levels. Gender norms/attitudes and ease of communication are two key determinants. 2. Innovative action. There is limited and patchy evidence of effective approaches to reach adolescents with the health interventions they need at scale. Yet, there exist several promising and innovative examples of providing comprehensive sexuality education through conventional approaches and using new media, improving access to health services, and reaching adolescents as well as families and community members using community-based interventions were presented at the Congress. 3. Better measurement. Evaluation designs and indicators chosen to measure the effect and impact of interventions are not always sensitive to subtle and incremental changes. This can create a gap between measured effectiveness and the impact perceived by the targeted populations. Thus, one conclusion is that we need more evidence to better determine the factors impeding progress in ASRH in Latin American, to innovate and respond flexibly to changing social dynamics and cultural practices, and to better measure the impact of existing intervention strategies. Yet, this Congress offered a starting point from which to build a multi-agency and multi-country effort to generate specific evidence on ASRH with the aim of guiding policy and program decision-making. In a region that contains substantial barriers of access to ASRH education and services, and some of the highest adolescent pregnancy rates in the world, the participants agreed that there is no time to lose.

Effect of improving the knowledge, attitude and practice of reproductive health among female migrant workers: a worksite-based intervention in Guangzhou, China.

UNLABELLED: Background The sexual and reproductive health (SRH) knowledge and attitudes of female migrant workers are far from optimum in China. A worksite-based intervention program on SRH-related knowledge, attitude and practice (SRH KAP) modification may be an effective approach to improve the SRH status among migrant workers. This study aimed to identify better intervention approaches via the implementation and evaluation of two intervention packages. METHODS: A worksite-based cluster-randomised intervention study was conducted from June to December 2008 in eight factories in Guangzhou, China. There were 1346 female migrant workers who participated in this study. Factories were randomly allocated to the standard package of interventions group (SPIG) or the intensive package of interventions group (IPIG). Questionnaires were administered to evaluate the effect of two interventions. RESULTS: SRH knowledge scores were higher at follow up than at baseline for all participants of the SPIG; the knowledge scores increased from 6.50 (standard deviation (s.d.) 3.673) to 8.69 (s.d. 4.085), and from 5.98 (s.d. 3.581) to 11.14 (s.d. 3.855) for IPIG; SRH attitude scores increased among unmarried women: the attitude scores changed from 4.25 (s.d. 1.577) to 4.46 (s.d. 1.455) for SPIG, and from 3.99 (s.d. 1.620) to 4.64 (s.d. 1.690) for IPIG; most SRH-related practice was also modified (P<0.05). In addition, after intervention, the IPIG had a higher knowledge level than the SPIG; the scores were 11.14 (s.d. 3.855) versus 8.69 (s.d. 4.085), and unmarried women in the IPIG had higher condom use rate than the SPIG (86.4% versus 57.1%). CONCLUSIONS: The interventions had positive influences on improvements in SRH knowledge, attitudes and behaviours. Additionally, IPIs were more effective than SPIs, indicating that a comprehensive intervention may achieve better results.

Sexual and reproductive health status and related knowledge among female migrant workers in Guangzhou, China: a cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the current sexual and reproductive health (SRH) status including SRH-related knowledge and associated factors, self-reported symptoms of reproductive tract infection (RTI), medical assistance seeking behavior, sexual experience and contraceptive use, reproductive information approach and reproductive service utilization among female migrant workers in Huangpu district, Guangzhou city, China. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2008 in eight factories, which were selected randomly from 32 eligible factories in the Huangpu district in Guangzhou. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the SRH status of migrant workers. Factors associated with the level of SRH knowledge were determined by a logistic regression model. RESULTS: Of 1346 female migrant workers, 831(61.7%) were unmarried and 515 (38.3%) were married. 27.2% of the unmarried respondents and 40.2% of the married respondents had suffered self-reported RTI symptoms. Among unmarried respondents, the median knowledge score was 5 points, compared to 8 points for the married. For unmarried migrant workers, factors associated with the knowledge level were age, education level, access to SRH information and service, sexual experiences and RTI symptoms. For married migrant workers, factors associated with the knowledge level were age, education level, access to SRH services and RTI symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of self-reported RTI symptoms and a low knowledge level were found among young female migrant workers. Unmarried migrant workers are more vulnerable to SRH problems. Those findings demand more specific interventions targeting female migrants and in particular the unmarried.