OPA Announces Family Planning Research Grants
The 2006 Family Planning Service Delivery Improvement (SDI) Research Grants were awarded to the following:
CONnecting with Teens About Contraceptive Use (CONTAC-U)
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
615 N. Wolfe Street
Baltimore, MD 21205
Principal Investigator:
Kathleen M. Cardona, DrPH, MPH
Project Period: 09/01/2006 - 08/31/2009
Project Description: The objective of this study is to develop and evaluate a clinic-based intervention intended to increase contraceptive use and consistency of use, and reduce 1-year pregnancy rates among adolescents. Specifically, the plan is to design an easily replicable, technology-based and adolescent-friendly means of continuing contact to enhance contraceptive protection, while encouraging parental involvement. This will involve all female clients under age 20 who present to the youth center in Baltimore City over an 18 month period. Individualized methods counseling sessions will be provided to clients who will be contacted at regular intervals beginning 2 weeks post-enrollment and then at least monthly to discuss issues related to method use, and appointment reminders. One technological innovation is clients' use of text-messaging, email, or phone as a means of clinic contact. A second innovation is the use of a new web-based database to be designed for this project, which will permit contacts to be scheduled, initiated, and recorded, and which will enable the clinic to provide regular, longitudinal follow-up. Clients will also be encouraged to identify a parent or key adult to participate in order to learn about contraceptive options and how to communicate with the teen to reinforce appropriate use of contraception.
Chlamydia and Race/Ethnicity in Title X Region X Female Clients Age 15-24 Years
Grantee Organization:
Center for Health Training
1809 7th Avenue, Suite 400
Seattle, WA 98101
Principal Investigator:
David Fine, Ph.D.
Project Period: 9/01/2006 - 08/31/2007
Project Description: The research goal for this project is to explore, assess and begin to address possible racial/ethnic disparities in chlamydia (CT) screening, prevalence and prevention services in Title X family planning clinics using existing data sets. Specific aims are to:
- assess racial and ethnic disparities in chlamydia screening coverage among Title X Region X family planning (FP) clinic female clients aged 15 -24, from 2004-2005;
- assess racial and ethnic disparities in chlamydia positivity among Region X FP clinic female clients aged 15-24 from 1997-2005; and
- assess an enhanced array of behavioral, demographic and socioeconomic status measures in relation to race/ethnicity and chlamydia positivity in a sample of FP clinic female clients age 15-24.
Data sources to be used for specific aims #1 and #2 include:
- a two-year (2004-2005) data set from the Region X Title X FP client information system that captures patient characteristics and service provision for all Title X encounters; and
- data from the Infertility Prevention Project (IPP) for the assessment of racial and ethnic disparities in Chlamydia positivity. Data for specific aim 3 will come from recruiting female FP clients (375 CT+/375 CT-) age 15-24 from clinics where race/ethnic disparities were found based on results from specific aim #2.
Disparities in Reproductive Health Care Access Among Vulnerable Populations
Grantee Organization:
Research Triangle Institute
3040 Cornwallis Road
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Principal Investigator:
Christina Fowler, Ph.D., MPH
Project Period: 09/01/2006 - 08/31/2008
Project Description: This study proposes a comprehensive and systematic examination of disparities in reproductive health service access across multiple vulnerable populations. The objective of this project is to examine whether disparities in access to family planning and other reproductive health services exist for vulnerable groups of women and men, specifically non-Hispanic black and Hispanic, relative to non-Hispanic white; poor (less than 100% of federal poverty level [FPL]) and near-poor or low income (100%-199% of FPL), relative to non-poor (less than 200% of FPL); teens (aged 15-19) and young adults (aged 20-24), relative to older adults (aged 25-44); and residents of non-metropolitan counties and metropolitan suburban counties, relative to residents of metropolitan urban counties. Data from the 1995 (women) and 2002 (women and men) National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), will be used to analyze whether group differences exist in service utilization, quality, and contraceptive use and to assess the role of Title X clinics in reducing differences. The lOM's 1993 Model of Access to Personal Health Care Services, adapted to reproductive health care, will guide the study.
Impact of Pack Supply on Contraceptive Continuation
Grantee Organization:
Columbia University Medical Center
630 West 168th Street
New York, NY 10032
Principal Investigator:
Katherine J. O'Connell, M.D., MPH
Project Period: 09/30/2006 - 09/29/2009
Project Description: The objective of this project is to determine whether providing an enhanced, seven-month supply of oral contraception (OC) versus the standard 3-month supply of OC results in less contraceptive discontinuation. It is believed that an extended initial supply of contraception requires fewer visits to obtain refills and may remove a common obstacle to method continuation. The proposed strategy is a randomized trial to compare two approaches to the initial supply of hormonal contraception in women aged 29 and under who receive family planning care at a publicly-funded clinic(n=750). The approaches are 1) a standard three-month supply of OC, versus 2) an enhanced seven-month supply of OC. Interviews will be conducted at a six-month follow-up to determine OC continuation rates and adverse events. The researchers believe that the approach of extending the initial supply of contraception has the potential to improve rates of OC, particularly among adolescents who are at the highest risk of early discontinuation, and by removing a obstacle to method continuation, would ultimately help to reduce the rate of unintended pregnancy.
