Men’s social networks, social norms, & family planning in Benin

IntroductionKilkari is one of the world’s largest mobile phone-based health messaging programmes. Developed by BBC Media Action, it provides weekly stage-based information to pregnant and postpartum women and their families, including on infant and young child feeding (IYCF) and family planning, to compliment the efforts of frontline health workers. The quantitative component of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh found that exposure to Kilkari increased modern contraceptive uptake but did not change IYCF practices. This qualitative research complements the RCT to explore why these findings may have emerged.MethodsWe used system generated data to identify households within the RCT with very high to medium Kilkari listenership. Mothers (n=29), as well as husbands and extended family members (n=25 interviews/family group discussions) were interviewed about IYCF and family planning, including their reactions to Kilkari’s calls on these topics. Analysis was informed by the theory of reciprocal determinism, which positions behaviour change within the interacting domains of individual attributes, social and environmental determinants, and existing practices.ResultsWhile women who owned and controlled their own phones were the Kilkari listeners, among women who did not own their own phones, it was often their husbands who listened. Spouses did not discuss Kilkari messages. Respondents retained and appreciated Kilkari messages that aligned with their pre-existing worldviews, social norms, and existing practices. However, they overlooked or de-emphasised content that did not. In this way, they reported agreeing with and trusting Kilkari while persisting with practices that went against Kilkari’s recommendations, particularly non-exclusive breastfeeding and inappropriate complementary feeding.ConclusionTo deepen impact, digital direct to beneficiary services need to be complimented by wider communication efforts (e.g., sustained face-to-face, media, community engagement) to change social norms, taking into account the role of socio-environmental, behavioural, and individual determinants.

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Role of social networks and social norms in future PrEP use in a racially-diverse sample of at-risk women and members of their social networks

JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes ◽

10.1097/qai.0000000000002571 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽

Author(s):

Laura M. JOHNSON ◽

Harold D. GREEN ◽

Brandon KOCH ◽

Jamila K. STOCKMAN ◽

Marisa FELSHER ◽

...

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Social Networks ◽

Social Norms ◽

Racially Diverse

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Why Are Modern Families Small? Toward an Evolutionary and Cultural Explanation for the Demographic Transition

Personality and Social Psychology Review ◽

10.1207/s15327957pspr0904_5 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 360-375 ◽

Cited By ~ 77

Author(s):

Lesley Newson ◽

Tom Postmes ◽

S. E. G Lea ◽

Paul Webley

Keyword(s):

Social Networks ◽

Social Norms ◽

Social Influence ◽

Social Control ◽

Cultural Evolution ◽

Reproductive Behavior ◽

Demographic Transition ◽

The Social ◽

Large Families ◽

Cultural Explanation

As societies modernize, they go through what has become known as “the demographic transition;” couples begin to limit the size of their families. Models to explain this change assume that reproductive behavior is either under individual control or under social control. The evidence that social influence plays a role in the control of reproduction is strong, but the models cannot adequately explain why the development of small family norms always accompanies modernization. We suggest that the widening of social networks, which has been found to occur with modernization, is sufficient to explain the change in reproductive norms if it is assumed that (a) advice and comment on reproduction that passes among kin is more likely to encourage the creation of families than that which passes among nonkin and (b) this advice and comment influence the social norms induced from the communications. This would, through a process of cultural evolution, lead to the development of norms that make it increasingly difficult to have large families.

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Social Influences, Social Context, and Health Behaviors Among Working-Class, Multi-Ethnic Adults

Health Education & Behavior ◽

10.1177/1090198106288011 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 34 (2) ◽

pp. 315-334 ◽

Cited By ~ 79

Author(s):

Karen M. Emmons ◽

Elizabeth M. Barbeau ◽

Caitlin Gutheil ◽

Jo Ellen Stryker ◽

Anne M. Stoddard

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Social Networks ◽

Working Class ◽

Health Behaviors ◽

Social Norms ◽

Social Influence ◽

Vegetable Intake ◽

Social Influences ◽

Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽

Fruit And Vegetable

Little research has explored the relationship between social influences (e.g., social networks, social support, social norms) and health as related to modifying factors that may contribute to health disparities. This is a cross-sectional analysis of fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity, using baseline data from two cancer prevention studies with working-class, multi-ethnic adults. Several social influence and social contextual variables were associated with fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity in both samples. Fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with social norms and social networks, although different contextual variables also were related to intake across the two samples. Physical activity was associated with social networks, social norms, and competing demands. By examining how key social influence and contextual mediating variables relate to health behaviors, we can learn more about the types of interventions that might be needed to promote sustained health behavior change in this population.

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Low contraceptive utilization among young married women is associated with perceived social norms and belief in contraceptive myths in rural Ethiopia

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0247484 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. e0247484

Author(s):

Tariku Dingeta ◽

Lemessa Oljira ◽

Alemayehu Worku ◽

Yemane Berhane

Keyword(s):

Family Planning ◽

Social Norms ◽

Unmet Need ◽

Cultural Factors ◽

Married Women ◽

Multivariable Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Contraceptive Methods ◽

Eastern Ethiopia ◽

Rural Ethiopia ◽

Contraceptive Utilization

Introduction Despite the increasingly wider availability of contraceptives and the high levels of unmet need for family planning in rural Ethiopia, contraceptive utilization among young married women is low. Studies on associated factors in Ethiopia so far have been focused on individual factors with little emphasis on socio-cultural factors. This study aimed to assess the association between contraceptive utilization and socio-cultural factors among young married women in Eastern Ethiopia. Methods A community-based survey was conducted among young married women aged 14–24 years. A total of 3039 women were interviewed by trained data collectors using a structured questionnaire. Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) was used to identify factors associated with contraceptive utilization using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results The current contraceptive prevalence rate was 14.1% (95% CI: 12.8–15.5). Perceived social approval (AOR = 1.90; 95% CI = 1.60–2.30) and perception of friends’ contraceptive practice (AOR = 1.34; 95% CI: 1.20–1.54) were significantly and positively associated with contraceptive utilization. On the contrary, increased score of belief in contraceptive myths was significantly and negatively associated with contraceptive use (AOR = 0.60; 95% CI: 0.49–0.73). Moreover, recent exposure to family planning information (AOR = 1.67; 95% CI: 1.22–2.28), ever-mother (AOR = 9.68; 95% CI: 4.47–20.90), and secondary and above education level (AOR = 1.90; 95% CI: 1.38–2.70) were significantly associated with higher odds of contraceptive utilization. Conclusion Only about one-in-seven young married women were using contraceptive methods. Socio-cultural factors significantly influence young married women’s contraceptive utilization. Interventions to address social norms and pervasive myths and misconceptions could increase the use of contraceptive methods in young married women.

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How can we measure the causal effects of social networks using observational data? Evidence from the diffusion of family planning and AIDS worries in South Nyanza District, Kenya

10.4054/mpidr-wp-2001-022 ◽

2001 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jere R. Behrman ◽

Hans-Peter Kohler ◽

Susan Cotts Watkins

Keyword(s):

Social Networks ◽

Family Planning ◽

Observational Data ◽

Causal Effects

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Empirical Assessments of Social Networks, Fertility and Family Planning Programs

Demographic Research ◽

10.4054/demres.2000.3.7 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Hans-Peter Kohler ◽

Jere Behrman ◽

Susan Watkins

Keyword(s):

Social Networks ◽

Family Planning ◽

Family Planning Programs

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Sources of social capital

Sociologija ◽

10.2298/soc0801017g ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 50 (1) ◽

pp. 17-34 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Natasa Golubovic

Keyword(s):

Social Capital ◽

Social Networks ◽

Social Norms ◽

Conceptual Model ◽

Social Ties ◽

Capital Social ◽

Formal Institutions ◽

Easy Task

The aim of this paper is to analyze sources of social capital, i.e. that segment of the overall capital which is embedded in social ties and relationships. This is not an easy task because in theoretical debates differences between sources, manifestations and effects of social capital are very often blurred. It is argued that different approaches in the analysis of the sources of social capital could be integrated into one conceptual model which would include two direct sources of social capital social networks and social norms. In addition, formal institutions and trust are also closely related to social capital. These determinants influence the development of social capital and are mutually related.

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