title: Tailored health messaging improves contraceptive continuation and adherence: results from a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Discontinuation and incorrect use of contraceptive methods may contribute to as many as 1 million unintended pregnancies annually in the United States. Interventions to improve contraceptive method continuation and adherence are needed.
  
  
  METHODS
  A three-arm randomized controlled trial was conducted at two family planning sites testing the efficacy of a computer-based contraceptive assessment module in increasing the proportion of patients who continued use of their chosen contraceptive method 4 months after the family planning visit (n=224).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In analyses adjusting for clinical site of recruitment, family planning patients who used the module and received individually tailored health materials (n=78), compared to those in the control group (n=70), were significantly more likely to continue use of their chosen contraceptive method [95% compared to 77%; odds ratio (OR)=5.48; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.72-17.42] and to adhere to their method (86% compared to 69%; OR=2.74; 95% CI: 1.21-6.21). No significant differences in these outcomes were found for participants who used the module but did not receive tailored materials (n=76), compared to the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tailored health materials significantly improved contraceptive method continuation and adherence. Additional research on the impact of the intervention on continuation and adherence in a larger sample and over a longer follow-up period is merited.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Solutions, New York, NY 10013, USA. sgarbers@healthsolutions.org
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Garbers
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meserve
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kottke
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hatcher
authors.forename: Mary Ann
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Chiasson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003201:Computers; D017280:Condoms; D003267:Contraception / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D003268:Contraception Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003274:Contraceptive Devices, Female; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D005193:Family Planning Services / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011247:Pregnancy; D049168:Pregnancy, Unplanned
chemical_list: D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate