Birth Spacing

Behavior Profile Sample: Birth Spacing

A Behavior Profile is a summary analysis of each behavior. This sample draws from global evidence and illustrates the result of using the Create Behavior Profiles Tool to analyze factors, supporting actors and strategies and to ensure logical pathways exist between strategies proposed and factors related to the practice of the behavior. This sample may be used as a starting point or reference for creating Behavior Profiles.

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Health Goal	Improve maternal and child survival
Accelerator Behavior	After a live birth, women or their partners use a modern contraceptive method to avoid pregnancy for at least 24 months Percentage of currently married or in union women using family planning for spacing

Behavior Analysis	Strategy
STEPS What steps are needed to practice this behavior? Obtain family planning counseling from a qualified provider Select appropriate modern contraceptive method Obtain chosen method Use chosen method as instructed Click on any box to see the pathwaysA pathway illustrates how elements in the Behavior Profile are linked. When read from right to left, a pathway highlights how strategies are expected to address the factors to enable adoption of the Accelerator Behavior. of the behavior.	FACTORS What factors may prevent or support practice of this behavior? These should be analyzed for each country context. Structural Accessibility: Commodity supply is irregular or sporadic, especially for certain methods Service Provider Competencies: Some providers do not emphasize the importance of birth spacing in discussing family planning Service Provider Competencies: Providers are sometimes rude, judgemental or do not maintain confidentiality Social Norms: Large families are often the norm and the risks of children spaced closely together are not well-understood or accepted Family and Community Support: Community and religious leaders often resist family planning on moral grounds, though less-so the notion of birth spacing Gender: Men often see large families or a frequently pregnant partner as sign of virility and strength Internal Attitudes and Beliefs: Many women and men fear side effects of contraception Knowledge: Couples do not always understand benefits of birth spacing for their families	SUPPORTING ACTORS AND ACTIONS Who must support the practice of this behavior? Institutional Logistics Personnel: Plan and manage contraceptive supplies to ensure consistent supply of stocked commodities Providers: Offer respectful care and comprehensive counseling on the benefits of birth spacing and other specific birth spacing messages Community Community Leaders: Publicly support birth spacing and seek out spaces to discuss with men and women both on the importance of healthy birth spacing Household Male Partners: Actively support wives to select and implement appropriate birth spacing method	POSSIBLE PROGRAM STRATEGIES How might we focus our efforts based on this analysis? Enabling Environment Partnerships and Networks: Extend commodity supply outlets via social franchising or community based distribution networks Partnerships and Networks: Use community and faith-based organizations, including places of worship, to share and discuss birth spacing Systems, Products and Services Supply Chain: Enhance use of Logistics Management Information Systems to better estimate contraceptive needs Quality Improvement: Expand birth spacing entry points into Integrated Management of Childhood Illness clinics, postnatal care, etc. Quality Improvement: Integrate specific birth spacing messages and communication skills into pre-service health worker curricula Demand and Use Advocacy : Develop birth spacing and Family Planning Advocacy Toolkit to garner support from different levels of leadership Communication: Use community open forums (with materials produced above) to discuss birth spacing services Communication: Produce and disseminate birth spacing materials to families that position birth spacing as the healthiest option for a family

Behavior Analysis

Strategy

STEPS

What steps are needed to practice this behavior?

Obtain family planning counseling from a qualified provider
Select appropriate modern contraceptive method
Obtain chosen method
Use chosen method as instructed

Click on any box
to see the pathwaysA pathway illustrates how elements in the Behavior Profile are linked. When read from right to left, a pathway highlights how strategies are expected to address the factors to enable adoption of the Accelerator Behavior.
of the behavior.

FACTORS

What factors may prevent or support practice of this behavior? These should be analyzed for each country context.

Structural

Accessibility: Commodity supply is irregular or sporadic, especially for certain methods

Service Provider Competencies: Some providers do not emphasize the importance of birth spacing in discussing family planning

Service Provider Competencies: Providers are sometimes rude, judgemental or do not maintain confidentiality

Social

Norms: Large families are often the norm and the risks of children spaced closely together are not well-understood or accepted

Family and Community Support: Community and religious leaders often resist family planning on moral grounds, though less-so the notion of birth spacing

Gender: Men often see large families or a frequently pregnant partner as sign of virility and strength

Internal

Attitudes and Beliefs: Many women and men fear side effects of contraception

Knowledge: Couples do not always understand benefits of birth spacing for their families

SUPPORTING ACTORS AND ACTIONS

Who must support the practice of this behavior?

Institutional

Logistics Personnel: Plan and manage contraceptive supplies to ensure consistent supply of stocked commodities

Providers: Offer respectful care and comprehensive counseling on the benefits of birth spacing and other specific birth spacing messages

Community

Community Leaders: Publicly support birth spacing and seek out spaces to discuss with men and women both on the importance of healthy birth spacing

Household

Male Partners: Actively support wives to select and implement appropriate birth spacing method

POSSIBLE PROGRAM STRATEGIES

How might we focus our efforts based on this analysis?

Enabling Environment

Partnerships and Networks: Extend commodity supply outlets via social franchising or community based distribution networks

Partnerships and Networks: Use community and faith-based organizations, including places of worship, to share and discuss birth spacing

Systems, Products and Services

Supply Chain: Enhance use of Logistics Management Information Systems to better estimate contraceptive needs

Quality Improvement: Expand birth spacing entry points into Integrated Management of Childhood Illness clinics, postnatal care, etc.

Quality Improvement: Integrate specific birth spacing messages and communication skills into pre-service health worker curricula

Demand and Use

Advocacy : Develop birth spacing and Family Planning Advocacy Toolkit to garner support from different levels of leadership

Communication: Use community open forums (with materials produced above) to discuss birth spacing services

Communication: Produce and disseminate birth spacing materials to families that position birth spacing as the healthiest option for a family

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