Methods
SECONDARY
This is an a priori planned secondary analysis of the CHARM2 study described elsewhere in detail [In this cluster randomized trial, 1201 young couples across 40 geographic clusters were randomized to the CHARM2 intervention or control condition (standard of care). Inclusion criteria for the CHARM2 study included married couples with women aged 18 to 29 years, both partners nonsterilized, living together for at least six months.We recruited couples from the rural Pune district of Maharashtra, India from September 2018–June 2019 via random selection from household rosters and approached and interviewed them in their homes. We collected data at three time points: baseline, 9-month, and 18-month follow-up. At 9-month follow-up, 1089 women provided survey responses, full couple retention at nine months was 90.2% (Our independent variable was intervention condition. Couples in the intervention clusters received counseling sessions from CHARM2 providers between baseline and 9-month follow-up. Gender-matched health providers delivered two gender-equity and family planning counseling sessions with married husbands and wives separately in parallel, and a final session was delivered to the couple together, by either the male or female provider who delivered the individual sessions, whichever was available and/or preferred by the couple.CHARM2 providers included public and private health providers within the couples’ geographic cluster area who were trained in the CHARM2 curriculum inclusive of gender equity and person-centered contraceptive counseling using a shared decision-making approach. Counseling sessions were supported by a desktop flip chart and contraceptive flash cards to facilitate patient-centered shared decision-making. Couples in the control condition were informed about local family planning services available at no cost from the public health sector. Control participants were not required to obtain contraceptive counseling or care.We utilized the Interpersonal Quality of Family Planning (IQFP) scale to measure our dependent variable, perceived quality of care. IQFP consists of 11 items assessing client perceptions of interpersonal connection, receiving adequate information, and decision support in their most recent family planning counseling (