Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1994. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [57]-62).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1991.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1989.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1991.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1989.

Este estudo versa sobre o comportamento de um grupo específico de consumidores brasileiros, classificados como de baixa renda, e busca avaliar como se dá o processo de tomada de decisão na compra de preservativos. Basicamente dois fatores justificam a importância do tema: o primeiro é o fato de que um dos segmentos que mais têm sido afetados pelo aumento da incidência da Aids é a população de baixa renda; o segundo, é a constatação de que crescem as taxas de fecundidade entre mulheres dessa mesma classe. As conseqüências socioeconômicas desses fatos podem ser graves. O uso de métodos contraceptivos e de prevenção contra a doença parece ser, portanto, o caminho para se amenizar o problema. O preservativo tem papel de destaque nessa luta. Tendo isso em vista, o trabalho procura lançar luz à compreensão do perfil das classes populares, seus estilos de vida e de compra, dando foco ao produto preservativo. A revisão da literatura trata da teoria do comportamento do consumidor, associando-a a estudos sobre hábitos de uso do preservativo e a considerações sobre atributos do mesmo. A pesquisa de campo procura identificar quais atributos do preservativo são considerados mais importantes pelos consumidores de baixa renda e qual o peso relativo dessa importância. Para tanto, faz uso de um estudo exploratório-descritivo, apoiado no método de análise da Conjoint Analysis, próprio para avaliação relativa entre atributos. Os principais resultados apresentados mostram que esses consumidores consideram fortemente a importância da marca e do preço, mas não desprezam fatores como formato e textura. Para concluir, as considerações finais destacam que os resultados apresentados sugerem oportunidades de ações de marketing que chamem a atenção dos atributos identificados como de maior importância relativa e permitam o maior acesso do indivíduo de baixa renda ao preservativo. / This thesis is about the behavior of a specific group of brazilian consumers who are classified as low income people. It aims to evaluate how they choose and buy condoms. There are mainly two factors that make this research important: the first one is related to the fact that the number of low income people with Aids is increasing; the second one is related to the growing birth rate in the low income group. The social and economical consequences of these factors are really serious. Using condom can be one of the ways to prevent Aids and pregnancy. Because of this, condom has an important role in this situation. This research intends to understand the profile of the low income groups, their way of living and buying, especially condoms. The theoretical review is based on the consumer behavior, relating it to the searches about the condom using habits and their attributes. The marketing research aims to identify which condom attributes are considered more important by the low income consumers and how such attributes are important or not to these consumers. The main results show that the consumers really consider the condom brand and price, but they also consider the format and texture. Finally, we conclude that there are marketing opportunities related to the condom attributes identified as the most important ones to the low income consumers.

BACKGROUND. Given the efficacy of most contraceptive options, it is of concern that most pregnancies in the USA are unplanned. Besides reducing the woman's and family's preparedness for parenting, unplanned pregnancies are at higher risk for inadequate prenatal care, perinatal morbidity, and significant postnatal problems. Little is known about the factors responsible for the high rates of unplanned pregnancy. METHODS. One hundred ten pregnant women were surveyed to examine factors relating contraception to unplanned pregnancy. RESULTS. Sixty-five percent of pregnancies were unplanned. There was a statistically significant association between having unplanned pregnancies and being single or divorced. Women who had planned their pregnancies tended to be more satisfied with contraceptives. In sexual encounters, women with unplanned pregnancies were more likely to use no contraception or to practice 'withdrawal' or use condoms rather than hormonal contraception; to be influenced by their partner regarding birth control use; and to forget to use contraception. CONCLUSIONS. All women of childbearing age who are sexually active can benefit from planning pregnancies. Counseling that accesses a woman's expectations regarding birth control, followed by a careful explanation of the side effects of a contraception choice, may reduce the rate of unplanned pregnancy. Counseling the male partner or sexually active men in contraceptive options may be equally important. Understanding factors that result in satisfaction with contraception may reduce unplanned pregnancies.

Tillgång till preventivmedel är betydelsefullt för att kvinnor ska kunna ha ett hälsosamt samliv utan risk för sexuellt överförbara sjukdomar samt oönskade och/eller oplanerade graviditeter. Preventivmedelsanvändningen i Sverige är hög och majoriteten av alla kvinnor anser att preventivmedelsanvändning är viktig. Målet inom hälso- och sjukvården är att göra kvinnan delaktig i vården vilken ska planeras och genomföras i samråd med henne. I dagsläget finns ingen vedertagen mall för hur preventivmedelsrådgivning ska utformas och genomföras vilket innebär att barnmorskor har olika strategier avseende den preventivmedelsrådgivning de ger. Det finns få studier i svensk kontext som undersöker kvinnors perspektiv på preventivmedelsrådgivning. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka kvinnors perspektiv på vad som kännetecknar en god preventivmedelsrådgivning. Metoden som användes var en kvalitativ intervjustudie med en induktiv ansats. Åtta svenska kvinnor intervjuades individuellt med hjälp av en semistrukturerad intervjuguide. Som analysmetod användes en kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Studien var en del av ett större forskningsprojekt. I resultatet framkom två kategorier och fem underkategorier. Kvinnorna värdesatte att träffa en barnmorska som hade ett lyhört förhållningssätt och som gjorde dem delaktiga i beslutet om preventivmetod. Kvinnorna ville känna att barnmorskan var engagerad och att barnmorskan i största möjliga utsträckning strävade efter att utforma en individuell rådgivning. Det efterfrågades utökad information om olika metoders för- och nackdelar samt effekter av metoderna i ett långtidsperspektiv. Kvinnorna ville inte känna sig ifrågasatta om de valde en metod som barnmorskan inte förespråkade. Resultatet i föreliggande intervjustudie innebär att det ställs krav på att barnmorskan tar sig tid och engagerar sig i den enskilda kvinnans situation vid preventivmedelsrådgivningen. Nyckelord: Preventivmedelsrådgivning, barnmorska, kvinna, önskemål / Access to contraception is important in order for women to have a healthy sexual life without risk of sexually transmitted diseases and/or unplanned pregnancies. In Sweden, the use of contraceptive devices is high and the majority of all women consider it to be of great importance. The goal within healthcare in Sweden is to make the woman involved in her care which should be planned and carried out in consultation with her. There is no established guidance on how counseling regarding contraceptive devices should be performed which means that midwives have different strategies regarding the contraceptive counseling they provide. There are only a few studies in Swedish context examining women’s perspective on counseling regarding contraceptive devices. The aim of the study was to investigate women’s perspective on what characterizes a good contraceptive counseling. The used method was a qualitative study with an inductive approach. Eight Swedish women were individually interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. As an analytical method qualitative content analysis was used. The study was a part of a bigger research. In the result two categories and five subcategories were found. Women valued to meet a midwife with a responsive attitude that made them involved in the decision making regarding contraceptive method. Women wanted to feel that the midwife was committed and that the midwife endeavored to design individual counseling. Women asked for more information on different methods pros and cons, as well as effects of the methods in a long-term perspective. The women did not want to feel questioned if they chose a method that the midwife did not advocate. The result of the current interview study implies that the midwife takes time and engages in the individual woman's situation during the contraceptive counseling. Keywords: Counseling, contraceptive devices, midwife, woman, request

Bakgrund: Kvinnors behov av modern familjeplanering är inte tillgodosett. Samhällsekonomiska vinster finns att hämta om fler använder långverkande reversibla preventivmedel (LARC), i stället för mindre effektiva kortverkande metoder. Det finns ett behov av förbättrade arbetssätt för att kvinnor genom ett välinformerat beslut ska kunna välja effektiva preventivmedel. Syfte: Att undersöka om reproduktiv anamnes och sociodemografiska faktorer har en inverkan på valet av LARC vid strukturerad respektive sedvanlig preventivmedelsrådgivning, bland ungdomar och unga vuxna (18–24 år) på ungdomsmottagningar i Stockholmsregionen. Metod: Kvantitativ ansats. Klusterrandomiserad studie och substudie av LOWE-studien. Resultat: Planerad användning av LARC innan besöket (OR 45.78, 95% CI 23,54–89,02) och strukturerad preventivmedelsrådgivning (intervention) (OR 3,67, 95% CI 2,24–5,97) var de variabler som visade sig vara påverka valet av LARC. Slutsats: En trolig anledning till att sociodemografiska faktorer och reproduktiv anamnes inte påverkar valet av LARC i denna studie kan vara att preventivmedelsanvändning är ett mer komplext område. Den information som ges vid preventivmedelsrådgivning har en inverkan på majoriteten av alla patienter, men rådande samhällsnormer styr valet av preventivmedel tillsammans med paradigmskiften inom SRHR. Klinisk tillämpbarhet: Resultatet var av klinisk signifikans för vårdpersonal på ungdomsmottagningar och kan kliniskt tillämpas för en fördjupad kunskap kring bidragande faktorer för valet av LARC. / Background: Women’s need for modern family planning is not met. Socioeconomic benefits can be obtained if less-safe methods are replaced by long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC). There is a need for improvement within the work to enable women to choose effective contraceptives by a well-informed decision. Aim: To investigate if reproductive history and socioeconomic factors have an impact on the choice of LARC under the influence of customary and structured contraceptive counselling, among adolescents and young adults (18-24) at youth clinics in Stockholm, Sweden. Method: Quantitative method. Cluster randomized controlled intervention study, and a substudy of LOWE. Result: Planned use of LARC before the visit (OR 45.78, 95% CI 23,54–89,02) and structured contraceptive counselling (intervention) (OR 3,67, 95% CI 2,24–5,97) was the variables that influenced the choice of LARC. Conclusion: A likely reason why sociodemographic factors and reproductive history did not influence the choice of LARC, could be that contraceptive use is a part of a more complex context. The information provided in contraceptive counselling has an influence on the majority of all patients, but current societal norms control the choice of contraception, as well as paradigm shifts within SRHR. External validity: The result was of clinical significance for staff at youth clinics and can be clinically applied for in-depth knowledge of influencing factors for the choice of LARC.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1996.