Effects of Hybrid Family Planning Counseling on Postpartum Maternal Health

Summary

This research aims to examine the effects of hybrid family planning counseling on maternal health in the postpartum period. The study is unique and innovative in that it evaluates the effectiveness of hybrid counseling models, which are gaining importance in the literature but have been the subject of a limited number of studies, particularly in Turkey. The World Health Organization recommends a minimum interval of 24 months between births, and it is known that early postpartum pregnancies have negative effects on maternal and neonatal health. In this context, the hybrid family planning counseling model to be developed will contribute to reducing maternal mortality and morbidity by supporting women in making informed and correct contraceptive choices. Furthermore, it is predicted that the findings of the study will be directly related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, namely gender equality, healthy living, and quality education. The research is planned as a randomized controlled longitudinal study. Data collection is planned for August 2026 at the Adana City Training and Research Hospital antenatal clinic. The sample will consist of a total of 96 pregnant women, 48 in the experimental group and 48 in the control group, determined by power analysis. A counseling module will be created by gathering expert opinions. The module will consist of 3 sessions. Each session will last 45 minutes, including 30 minutes of interactive presentation and 15 minutes of question and answer. The module sessions will have a dynamic structure that takes into account the needs of the mother during pregnancy and the postpartum period. The first meeting will be held face-to-face in the hospital at 34-38 weeks of pregnancy, the second meeting will be online within the first 4 weeks postpartum, and the third meeting will be online at 6 weeks postpartum. During the implementation phase, quantitative measurements of the research will be carried out using the "Antenatal Pregnancy Information Form", "Postnatal Mother Information Form", "Postpartum Family Planning Attitude Scale", "Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale" and "Sexual Life Quality Scale".

Research hypotheses:

H0: Longitudinal hybrid family planning counseling (antenatal-postpartum period) does not affect maternal health. H1: Longitudinal (antenatal-postpartum) hybrid family planning counseling affects maternal health.

Conditions

• Postpartum Family Planning Counseling

Interventions

OTHER

Hybrid family planning counseling

The study will begin with the randomization of samples meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria to assign them to the intervention and control groups. The first interview will be conducted in person at the hospital between weeks 34-38 of pregnancy. The second interview will be conducted online (Zoom or WhatsApp) within the first four weeks postpartum. Pre-test measurements will be taken. The third interview will be conducted online at week 6 postpartum. After the modules are completed, follow-ups will be conducted at 3, 6, and 12 months, and interim and post-test measurements will be taken. The purpose of the interim measurement is to evaluate the effect of the training more accurately, permanently, and reliably over time. The aim here is not just to use a pre-test-post-test approach, but to evaluate it in a more detailed and dynamic way. The researcher will share contact information with the participants, and women will be able to contact the researcher at any time. Data will be

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey

  collaborator OTHER

• Gaziantep Islam Science and Technology University

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-08-31

Primary Completion

2027-08-31

Completion

2028-04-30

Countries

• Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations