Effect of fertility health awareness strategies on fertility knowledge and childbearing in young married couples (FertStart): study protocol for an effectiveness-implementation hybrid type I multicentre three-arm parallel group open-label randomised clinical trial

Sze Ling Chan, Julian Thumboo, Jacky Boivin, Seyed Ehsan Saffari, Shanqing Yin, Samantha Rachel Yeo, Jerry Kok Yen Chan, Kee Chong Ng, Ka-Hee Chua, Su Ling Yu, Sze Ling Chan, Julian Thumboo, Jacky Boivin, Seyed Ehsan Saffari, Shanqing Yin, Samantha Rachel Yeo, Jerry Kok Yen Chan, Kee Chong Ng, Ka-Hee Chua, Su Ling Yu

Abstract

Introduction: Birth rates have been declining in many advanced societies including Singapore. We designed two interventions with vastly different resource requirements, which include fertility education, personalised fertility information and a behavioural change component targeting modifiable psychological constructs to modify fertility awareness and childbearing intentions. We aim to evaluate the effect of these two interventions on knowledge, attitudes and practice around childbearing compared with a control group among young married couples in Singapore and understand the implementation factors in the setting of an effectiveness-implementation hybrid type 1 three-arm randomised trial.

Methods and analysis: We will randomise 1200 young married couples to no intervention (control), Fertility Health Screening group (FHS) or Fertility Awareness Tools (FAT) in a 7:5:5 ratio. Couples in FHS will undergo an anti-Mullerian hormone test and semen analysis, a doctor's consultation to explain the results and standardised reproductive counselling by a trained nurse. Couples in FAT will watch a standardised video, complete an adapted fertility status awareness (FertiSTAT) tool and receive an educational brochure. The attitudes, fertility knowledge and efforts to achieve pregnancy of all couples will be assessed at baseline and 6 months post-randomisation. Birth statistics will be tracked using administrative records at 2 and 3 years. The primary outcome is the change in the woman's self-reported intended age at first birth between baseline and 6 months post-randomisation. In addition, implementation outcomes and cost-effectiveness of the two interventions will be assessed.

Ethics and dissemination: This study has been reviewed and approved by the Centralized Institutional Review Board of SingHealth (2019/2095). Study results will be reported to the study funder and there are plans to disseminate them in scientific conferences and publications, where authorship will be determined by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors guidelines.

Trial registration number: NCT04647136; ClinicalTrails.gov Identifier.

Keywords: education & training (see medical education & training); gynaecology; reproductive medicine; subfertility.

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study flowchart. FertiSTAT, fertility status awareness.

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