Protocol to Improve the Representation of the Reproductive Process in Spanish Fiction. (MaterScreen)

April 14, 2025 updated by: Rosa Mar Alzuria Alós, Universitat de Lleida

Protocol to Improve the Representation of the Reproductive Process in Spanish Fiction: Sequential Transformative Approach, With Qualitative Predominance and Participatory Action.

The aim of this study is to promote the inclusive and plural representation of reproductive processes in Spanish fiction, in order to generate knowledge, emotional well-being and improve the quality of life of people in similar situations. The question to be answered is

Will a handbook of good practices used in the training of scriptwriters and audiovisual creators, based on the testimonies of people experiencing reproductive processes and developed with the collaboration of experts (gynaecologists, midwives -ACL-, audiovisuals -Dones Visuals- and scriptwriters -Guionistes Associats-) promote the inclusive and updated representation of reproductive processes?

Focus groups with people involved in reproductive processes and in-depth interviews with professionals involved in these processes will be carried out. A manual of good practices will then be developed in collaboration with audiovisual experts and scriptwriters.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Introduction: Since the 1970s, representations of women in fiction have been the subject of interdisciplinary analysis to understand how cultural narratives perpetuate, challenge or transform patriarchal discourses.

Researchers such as Friedan, Faludi and Macdonald have shown how the media reproduce myths of femininity that reinforce gender inequalities. According to De Lauretis, gender is constructed through representation, while Ricoeur stresses that cultural narratives shape individual identities by linking personal histories with collective imaginaries.

In the area of motherhood, researchers such as Douglas and Michaels, Feasey and Kaplan have shown how the media reinforces conservative ideals such as 'new momism' and simplifies biological processes such as pregnancy and breastfeeding, while personal testimonies reveal tensions between cultural expectations and lived experiences, highlighting the need for more inclusive and diverse narratives.

Aim: The project analyzes the representation of reproductive processes-such as menstruation, pregnancy, abortion, and menopause-in contemporary Spanish audiovisual fiction, assessing how these narratives reflect or challenge socio-cultural structures and reconfigure traditional imaginaries.

Through an intersectional and interdisciplinary approach, the research team aims to understand how different audiences, particularly those related to reproductive health, perceive these narratives. The study will include an analysis of fiction, the perceptions of users and professionals, and collaboration with organizations such as the Catalan Association of Midwives (ACL) and audiovisual experts to co-produce a good practice guide that promotes inclusive, ethical, and patriarchy-free representations.

Material and method: The study will follow a sequential transformative mixed method design (DITRAS), with qualitative predominance and participatory action research, divided into three phases. In the first phase, a quantitative approach will be used with a descriptive cross-sectional study, based on a systematic search of film databases, digital platforms and on-demand television. In the second phase, users' and professionals' perceptions of reproductive health processes will be explored through focus groups and interviews. In the third phase, participatory action research will be applied to co-create a manual of good practices to be implemented in undergraduate and postgraduate training in communication and journalism.

Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first study to analyze the representation of reproductive processes in Spanish fiction. According to Goffman, the way messages are framed in the media influences the audience's perception of problems and their solutions, leading to psychological, social, and political repercussions.

Through strategically designed narratives, the media has the power to shape attitudes and drive social change, as highlighted by the WHO in its guidelines for addressing sensitive issues such as suicide. Previous studies on the portrayal of childbirth suggest that fiction has distorted the perception of care quality, overrepresented white, heterosexual, non-disabled couples, and depicted women as passive participants in the process.

The findings of this study have the potential to enhance the representation of reproductive processes in the media, fostering a more inclusive and accurate perspective that could shape public perceptions and contribute to the development of more equitable policies.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
60

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Spain
      • Lleida, Spain, 25198
        • Recruiting
        • Facultat d'Infermeria i Fisioteràpia
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
          • Mariona Visa Barbosa, PhD
        • Contact:
          • Margarida Carnicé Mur, PhD
        • Contact:
          • Lorenzo J Torres Hortelano, PhD
        • Contact:
          • Rosa M Alzuria Alós, PhD
        • Contact:
          • Joana Soto Merola, PhD
        • Contact:
          • Metzeri Sánchez Mesa, PhD
        • Contact:
          • Teresa Serés Seuma, PhD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria Users:

  • Participated in the group health education program at the primary sexual and reproductive health care centers (ASSIR), attended at least 3 sessions.
  • Signed the informed consent form.

Exclusion Criteria Users:

- Language barrier (Spanish/Catalan) that limits their ability to have a relaxed conversation.

Inclusion Criteria Health Professionals:

  • Employed by the Institut Català de la Salut, specifically within the obstetrics and gynecology team at the Hospital Universitari Arnau de Vilanova (HUAV) or primary health care (ASSIR)
  • Signed the informed consent form.

Exclusion Criteria Health Professionals:

- No exclusion criteria were applied.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Sequential Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Other: Persons involved in reproductive processes
The participatory action in this mixed study will be applied to users, health professionals and audiovisual professionals to co-create solutions and reflect on the representations of motherhood in Spanish audiovisual fiction. This methodology seeks to actively involve those involved-health professionals, audiovisual experts and people with experience in maternity-in all phases of the study, from data collection to interpretation.
Other: Participatory action
The reality of audiovisual fiction in Spain and professionals' perceptions of how motherhood is portrayed will be explored. Through participatory action, participants will share their experiences and knowledge to identify areas for improvement in the representation of reproductive processes. The result will be a manual of good practices for fiction production, aimed at promoting more inclusive, realistic and stereotype-free representations, in order to improve both public perception and professional training in the audiovisual field.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Use audiovisual works that promote diverse narratives about reproductive processes as case studies in undergraduate and master's programs for future audiovisual professionals
Time Frame: From the implementation of the manual of good practices in university communication and audiovisual studies to 5 years later.
Implement the use of a best practices manual for students of Audiovisual Communication, Journalism and Screenwriting, to enhance their critical ability to recognize more inclusive narratives in terms of race, class, gender, culture, religion, socioeconomic background, and access to reproductive rights.
From the implementation of the manual of good practices in university communication and audiovisual studies to 5 years later.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Creation of a database of fictional works on reproductive processes in Spain
Time Frame: In the 14 months prior to enrolling to participate.
To create a database of Spanish fictional works on reproductive processes from the last decade, following a search strategy designed by the research team. To analyze the fiction depicted (keyword, type, author, year, depicted reproductive process, ideology, medicalization, stereotypes, and platform -VOD or free-to-air TV-) using a customized tool for this study.
In the 14 months prior to enrolling to participate.
Profile and perceptions of users and professionals from focus group scripts or semi-structured interviews on the representation of reproductive processes in contemporary Spanish fiction.
Time Frame: An average of 6 months from the registration of participants (users and healthcare professionals) to the completion of the analysis of the interview / focus group.

A questionnaire will collect sociodemographic data such as age, sex/gender, country of birth, and occupation. Reproductive characteristics such as previous pregnancies, abortions, perinatal losses, live births, obstetric complications, and prior health education will also be gathered. Additionally, users' health education programs and professionals' characteristics (discipline, experience, level of care, and occupation) will be recorded.

Based on the semi-structured script, users' perceptions of the reproductive process, its differences from real experience, and consequences, including the invisibility of certain processes, will be collected. Discrepancies in care practices and their impact on expectations, along with proposals for improvement, will be analyzed. Professionals' views on fictional representations of sexual-reproductive health, their roles, stereotypes, interprofessional relationships, and impact on the population will also be examined, with suggestions for improvement.
An average of 6 months from the registration of participants (users and healthcare professionals) to the completion of the analysis of the interview / focus group.
Manual of best practices and recommendations for audiovisual presentations of reproductive processes, based on data collected through focus groups and in-depth interviews with users and professionals.
Time Frame: From the registration of participants in the Participatory Action Intervention Working Group to the implementation of the tool in university communication and audiovisual studies, an average 6 months.
The co-production of a manual of best practices for audiovisual representations of reproductive processes will be based on the analysis of user and professional discourses, with the participation of sexual and reproductive health experts (gynecologist and Associació Catalana de Llevadores) and communication professionals (Dones Visuals and Guionistes Associats de Catalunya). This manual, aimed at scriptwriters, audiovisual creators and students, will provide recommendations for the accurate representation of reproductive processes, ensuring visibility without gender stereotypes, respecting current health protocols and taking into account the social context.
From the registration of participants in the Participatory Action Intervention Working Group to the implementation of the tool in university communication and audiovisual studies, an average 6 months.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Universitat de Lleida

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Mariona Visa Barbosa, PhD, Universitat de Lleida
  • Principal Investigator: Margarida Carnicé Mur, PhD, Universitat de Lleida

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 31, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 20, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 24, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 18, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 14, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • PID2022-137338OA-I00 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Gobierno de España)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

The individual data collected in this study contain sensitive personal information. Despite anonymization measures, sharing could compromise participants' privacy and confidentiality. Additionally, the informed consent specifies that the data will be used solely for this study and not shared with third parties. Therefore, individual data sets will not be shared to ensure security and adherence to ethical research principles.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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