Table 3 Methodological details of the projects included in the systematic review to improve reproductive health choices for young married couples in resource-constrained setting through public health system

Khan et al. 2008, [23] India, 2006–07 (FP)^a

1. To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of using community workers to promote the use of Lactation Amenorrhea Method (LAM) and post-partum contraception that are conducive to healthy spacing and timing of pregnancy which can lead towards maternal and child mortality control.

1. Pregnant women with parity 0, 1 Age group-20-24 years

1. Individual counselling

1. Discussion sessions,

1. Cascaded capacity building training of frontline health workers

1. Quasi experimental with intervention/control area,

1. Post-partum contraception,

2. Husbands of pregnant women

2. Group counselling

2. Educational campaign

2. Purposive and convenience sampling,

2. Family planning

3. Mother-in-Law of pregnant women

3. Wall Paintings

3. Comparison between intervention and control

Santhya et al. 2008, [24] India, 2003–05, (FTP)^a

1. To develop and test an integrated package of health and social interventions to improve married young women’s reproductive and sexual health knowledge and practices,

1. Young women married for up to 2 years and not yet pregnant

1. Individual counselling

1. Informal interaction to provide information

1. None

1. Quasi experimental with intervention/control area,

1. Antenatal care,

2. To enhance their ability to act in their own interest and expand their social support networks.

2. Nulliparous pregnant women;

2. Group Formation

2. Community Educational campaign

2. Selection process not reported

2. Delivery care

3. First-time mothers up to 18 months postpartum

3. Group counselling

3. Comparison between intervention and control, and Baseline end line

3. Post natal care

4. Contraceptive use to delay first pregnancy

5. Decision making, mobility and couple communication

Daniel et al.2008, [25] India 2005–07 (PRACHAR)^a

1. To improve the health and welfare of young mothers and their children by changing traditional customs of early childbearing

1. Married women (aged 15–24)

1. Individual counseling

1. Community meetings

1. Training of rural medical practitioner (RMP)

1. Quasi experimental with intervention/control area,

1. Delay first birth

2. Unmarried adolescents

2. Street Plays,

2. BCC

2. Purposive and convenience sampling, Comparison between baseline and follow-up with in intervention and control group

2. Family planning

3. Young couples, their guardians (parents and in laws) and influential community members

3. Drama

3. Group meeting

3. Follow-up/monitoring of cohort for reproductive and sexual health

3. RTI/STI prevention,

4. Subgroups based on child status (no child, pregnant and with one child)

4. Community educational campaign,

4. Importance of delaying first birth, need of birth spacing,

5. Provision of basic reproductive and sexual health services

ACQUIRE^b 2008, Nepal, [26] 2000–2002 (ACQUIRE Project)^a

1. To increase married adolescents’ knowledge about family planning, maternal health and HIV and STI,

1. Married couples in which the woman was an adolescent

1. Group training

1. Advocacy workshop

1. Advocacy

1. Pre post Repeated Cross sectional surveys

1. Use of contraception before first pregnancy,

2. To increase community and family support for reproductive health decision making by married adolescent couples, especially related to family planning and pregnancy, delivery and post natal care

2. Youth couples aged up to 25 years

2. Individual counselling

2. Discussion sessions,

2. Cluster Sampling with Village Development Council as unit, Comparison between Baseline and End line

2. ANC,

3. Sensitization

3. Qualitative and quantitative survey

3. Delivery,

4. Community educational campaign

4. PNC

5. Street Plays

5. HIV/AIDS,

6. Drama

6. Gender attitude

CREHPA^b 2004, Nepal, [27] (REWARD^a Project)

1. To improve the reproductive health need of newly married couples

1. Young married women under 25 years

1. Group formation Youth Communication Action Group (YCAG) and Mothers group (MG)

1. Special events

1. Cascaded Capacity building training of frontline health workers

1. Quasi experimental with intervention/control area,

1. Family planning,

2. Capacity building of Group leaders and deputy leaders, Group (YCAG and MG)

2. Dissemination of knowledge

2. Advocacy

2. Purposive and convenience sampling,

2. ANC,

3. Counselling, Linkage of Group (YCAG and MG) members to health providers

3. Sensitisation

3. Comparison between intervention and control groups

3. Delivery

4. Community Educational campaign

4. Qualitative and quantitative survey

4 PNC,

5. Group Sensitization

5. STI and HIV/AIDS

6. Street Plays, Drama, Wall Paintings, Radio channels, TV channels

Shattuck et al. 2011, [28] Malawi, 2008 (MMM)^a

1. To evaluate the effect of a peer-delivered educational intervention, the Malawi Male Motivator intervention, on couples’ contraceptive uptake

1. Primary target: Men at least 18 years old and married to or living with female sexual partner aged not less than 25 years who was not currently pregnant or breastfeeding

1. Information, Motivation and Behavioral skill model

1. None

1. None

1. RCT

1. Use of contraception

2. Secondary target group: Wife/female sexual partner of those men

2. Computer based random number list, Comparison between baseline and end line with in intervention and control group

2. Gender norms

3. Qualitative and quantitative survey

Pande et al. (a) 2006 [29] (KEM)^a

1. Improving the reproductive health of married and unmarried adolescents

1. Married male and female adolescents and young adults aged: 14–25 years

1. Identification and referral for counselling

1. Sensitisation

1. Training

1. Feasibility study, House-listing survey,

1. Sexual and Reproductive health knowledge and status and use of services

2. Couple counselling,

2. Baseline and end line comparison

3. Marital counselling, and Clinical Referral

3. Qualitative and quantitative survey

Pande et al. (b) 2006 [30] (FRHS)^a

1. To examine the feasibility and effectiveness of providing a package of services in a rural community to improve married adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health knowledge and status, and use of services

1. Newly married couple less than 22 years old,

1. Group Formation and Group counselling (health education sessions),

1. Social mobilization activities

1. Training of health providers

1. 2 × 2 intervention control design

1. ANC

2. Husbands

2. Couple counselling

2. House-listing survey

2. Delivery,

3. Mothers in law.

3. Comparison between baseline and end line with in intervention and control group

3. PNC

4. Contraception use,

5. Abortion, infertility and treatment of reproductive RTI