How Do We Measure Contraceptive Method Preferences? Evidence From a Scoping Review.

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Family Planning Research
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Person-centered care is increasingly vital in family planning.
• Measuring reproductive preferences is important, but contraceptive method preferences are understudied.
• Existing population surveys often assume users have achieved their preferred contraceptive method.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how contraceptive method preferences have been defined and measured globally.
• To identify common approaches and variations in measuring contraceptive preferences and attributes.
• To highlight gaps in current measurement practices for contraceptive preferences.

Main Methods:

• Scoping review of 55 articles measuring contraceptive method preferences or attributes.
• Analysis of studies conducted in high-income countries (HIC), upper-middle-income countries (UMIC), and low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).
• Categorization of measurement approaches: specific methods, preferred attributes, or both.

Main Results:

• Inconsistent terminology and definitions were used for "contraceptive preferences."
• Measurement of preferred contraceptive attributes (e.g., side effects, effectiveness, cost) varied significantly.
• Only four articles used consistent language for measuring preferred contraceptive methods.
• A majority of studies were conducted in high-income countries (37/55).

Conclusions:

• There is growing interest in measuring contraceptive preferences to align with person-centered family planning goals.
• Significant gaps exist in the consistent and best-practice measurement of contraceptive preferences.
• Standardized methods are needed to accurately capture individual contraceptive choices and preferences in research and practice.