Psychological interventions decrease unintended pregnancies: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Unintended pregnancies persist despite advancements in contraception.
• Psychological interventions, drawing from theories like social cognitive theory, aim to enhance contraceptive adherence.
• Existing research on these interventions yields mixed results.

Approach:

• A meta-analysis synthesized data from 26 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 31,222 participants.
• The study systematically searched databases and reference lists to identify relevant RCTs.
• Interventions focused on increasing the use of contraceptive methods to prevent unintended pregnancies.

Key Points:

• The meta-analysis revealed an odds ratio (OR) of 0.83 (95% CI [.75, .93]) for pregnancy in the psychological intervention group.
• A significant inverse relationship was observed between intervention follow-up duration and pregnancy prevention effect.
• Study quality was generally good, with most trials reporting manual use, attrition, reasons for dropout, and adherence.

Conclusions:

• Psychological interventions demonstrate efficacy in preventing unintended pregnancies through enhanced contraceptive use.
• The effectiveness of these interventions is moderated by the follow-up duration.
• Further research may explore optimizing intervention strategies for sustained impact.