Meta-Analysis of the Impact of Family Planning Campaigns Conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health / Center for Communication Programs 1986-2001

Published in April 2003, this 59-page report details the results of a meta-analysis of communication campaigns conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Center for Communication Programs (JHU/CCP) to promote family planning in communities around the world. The first section of the resource offers background information, reviews the literature relevant to campaign meta-analyses, and explains the major questions addressed in the study. The following sections review the methodology and then examine the characteristics of the campaigns included in the analysis. The fourth section reports the results for campaigns with data on men and women combined. In the following section, results for campaigns that reported separate finding for men and/or women are presented. The results are discussed in the sixth section, followed by conclusions and recommendations.

Researchers from the University of Connecticut and JHU/CCP meta-analysed evaluations in an effort to examine 39 JHU/CCP campaigns carried out between 1986 and 2001. For each one, the particular outcomes examined by this study are: gains in knowledge, approval of family planning, interpersonal communication, behavioural intentions, and actual behaviour that could be attributed to a family planning campaign. The descriptive data from the campaigns used in the analysis are presented in the form of tables and text; the campaigns are described in terms of their organisation and scope, goals and targets, communication channels, media formats, and message characteristics.

In general, the study reveals that JHU/CCP family planning campaigns in developing countries since 1986 have resulted in very high rates of campaign exposure. The campaigns have consistently involved local participation and followed recommended practices in terms of message design and channel choices. Perhaps because of the high exposure rates, the authors suggest, the effectiveness of the campaigns was higher than might have been expected based on meta-analyses of true experiments and USA-based campaigns. Despite high baseline levels of knowledge and attitudes, the campaigns were still able to influence those outcomes. Examples of specific findings include:

Among the 39 campaigns with data on men and women combined:

• The greatest campaign effect for men and women was on knowledge of modern family planning methods (r = .15).
• There were also positive effects for partner communication about family planning (r = .10), approval of family planning (r = .09), behavioural intentions (r = .07), and use of modern methods of family planning (r = .07).
• The behavioural results were similar to those found for domestic campaigns on diverse topics; exposure to the campaigns (averaging 71%) was higher than exposure to domestic campaigns, and the average effect of self-reported campaign exposure on use was the same, at r = .12.

Among the 21 campaigns with data on women, and the 16 with data on men:

• Women: The greatest effect on interpersonal communication with partner (r = .27) and knowledge (r = .20 for modern and r =.16 for any family planning method), followed by behavioural intentions (r = .11), approval of family planning (r = .09), and current use of modern family planning methods (r = .05). Average amounts of campaign recall (61%) and exposure (65%) were high.
• Men: The men’s outcome with the most studies - use of modern family planning methods, with 10 studies - had an effect size of r = .07.
  Based on these findings, the authors have drawn up 3 separate sets of recommendations: for future campaigns, for future evaluations, and to facilitate future analysis of JHU/CCP campaigns.

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