Table 1.
Characteristics of included studies divided by focus of intervention.
| Focus of Intervention | Study | Country | Intervention | Comparison | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delay the age at first pregnancy | Baird et al. 2010 [27] | Malawi | Conditional cash transfer as an incentive for school girls and young women to stay or return to school | Received no conditional cash transfer | Pregnancy, initiation of sexual intercourse, condom use |
| Cabezón et al. 2005 [28] | Chile | One 45-minute class per week for a year on health education, contraceptive education, skills- building, and abstinence | No intervention | Unintended pregnancy, preterm birth, spontaneous abortion | |
| Cowan et al. 2010 [29] | Zimbabwe | The Regai Dzive Shiri Intervention consisting of an in-school teaching program, training of nurses, raising awareness, and improving communication in the community about HIV prevention | Delayed implementation | Pregnancy | |
| Daniel et al. 2008 [30] | India | PRACHAR Project, which utilized a communication intervention approach | Comparison areas were chosen because their socioeconomic conditions and accessibility were similar to those of the intervention communities | Contraception use, related attitudes, and knowledge (toward early childbearing) | |
| Diop et al. 2004 [31] | Senegal | Three-level intervention, including community-based, clinic-based, and school-based interventions | A separate community served as the control site and did not receive any of the intervention components | Knowledge and attitudes towards reproductive health (e.g., contraception, initiation of sexual intercourse) | |
| Duflo et al. 2015 [32] | Kenya | Education subsidies and HIV prevention education focused on abstinence until marriage in schools; stand-alone education subsidy program | Control schools | Teenage pregnancy rate | |
| Dupas 2011 [33] | Kenya | Schools trained teachers for sexual and reproductive health education | Control schools did not receive any of the programs | Incidence of childbearing | |
| Erulkar & Methengi 2007 [34] | Ethiopia | The Berhane Hewan program with three components: (1) social mobilization and group formation by adult female mentors; (2) participation in non-formal education and livelihoods training for out of school girls, or support to remain in school; and (3) “community conversations” | A control village, selected because of its similar socioeconomic profile | Use of birth control methods, knowledge of reproductive health topics | |
| Gallegos et al. 2008 [35] | Mexico | Behavioral-educational intervention, which included two types of intervention: (1) reduction of HIV/AIDS risk and (2) health promotion | Control group was present, limited details were provided | Use of condoms | |
| Handa et al. 2015 [36] | Kenya | Monthly cash transfer to eligible households for the care and development of orphans and vulnerable residents within the household | Delayed entry into the program, due to budget constraints | Pregnancy (ever been, likelihood), initiation of sexual intercourse | |
| James et al. 2005 [37] | South Africa | Implementation of a photo-novella (Laduma) on knowledge, attitudes, communication, and behavioral intentions with respect to sexually transmitted infections | Did not read the photo-novella | Condom use | |
| Jewkes et al. 2006 [38] | South Africa | “Stepping Stones” is an HIV prevention approach that aims to improve sexual health through building stronger, more gender-equitable relationships with better communication between partners | Control arm communities attended a single session of about 3 h on HIV and safer sex | Condom use | |
| Kaljee et al. 2005 [39] | Vietnam | The Vietnamese Focus on Kids program, designed to teach youth new skills for decision-making and communication, as well as factual information related to reproductive health | Control youth received the intervention after collection of the 18-month follow-up data | Beliefs about condom use | |
| Kanesathasan et al. 2008 [40] | India | DISHA: The Development Initiative Supporting Healthy Adolescents: program, comprising of youth groups, peer education, and income generating opportunities/skills | Control sites | Knowledge and attitudes on contraception and reproductive health services; contraceptive prevalence | |
| Klepp et al. 1997 [41] | Tanzania | Ngao, a local HIV/AIDS education program. | Delayed-intervention comparison group | Initiation of sexual intercourse | |
| Lou et al. 2004 [42] | China | Community-based sex education and reproductive health service program. | Comparable site in socio-cultural, economic, and demographic characteristics; continued to provide standard program and services | Contraception use (including details of condom use) | |
| Martiniuk et al. 2003 [43] | Belize | Responsible sexuality education program | Classrooms were randomly allocated to the control arm | Knowledge and attitudes about the risk of unintended pregnancy | |
| Meekers 2000 [44] | South Africa | Targeted social marketing program and subsidized condoms | A separate control site | Knowledge and awareness of contraceptives | |
| Mmbaga 2017 [45] | Tanzania | PREPARE, consisting of three components implemented by teachers, peer educators, and healthcare providers (linking adolescents to information and services that may foster healthy sexuality) | Half of the primary schools were assigned to the control group based on their size and geographic location | Initiation of sexual intercourse, condom use | |
| Okonofua et al. 2003 [46] | Nigeria | Intervention consisted of community participation, peer education, public lectures, health clubs in the schools, and training of sexually transmitted diseases treatment providers, including those with no formal training | Randomly selected control schools that received no intervention | Condom use | |
| Pandey et al. 2016 [47] | India | PRACHAR Project’s reproductive health training program for adolescents, which consisted of three days of training and focused on addressing adolescents’ need for information, contraceptive supplies, parental and community support, and a youth-friendly health system | A cohort of similar young people who were not exposed to the program | Use of birth control methods (modern, condoms), knowledge and attitudes about the risk of unintended pregnancies | |
| Ross et al. 2007 [48] | Tanzania | Community activities; teacher-led, peer-assisted sexual health education in years 5-7 of primary school; training and supervision of health workers to provide “youth-friendly” sexual health services; and peer condom social marketing | Standard activities | Condom use, initiation of sexual intercourse | |
| Shuey et al. 1999 [49] | Uganda | School health education program in primary schools, consisted of nine activities involving the community, parents, local leaders, teachers, students, and school health clubs | Students in the control country area were exposed to the standard school health and AIDS education program of Uganda | Abstinence | |
| Speizer et al. 2001 [50] | Cameroon | Peer education program that educated peer educators in information techniques for group discussions and on reproductive health-related topics | Comparison community, Mbalmayo | Knowledge (modern contraceptives), use of birth control methods (condom use, modern contraceptives) | |
| Walker et al. 2006 [51] | Mexico | Two interventions: (1) HIV education, skills- building, cultural values, contraceptive promotion (condoms); and (2) HIV education, skills-building, cultural values plus contraceptive education (education and communication plus condoms and their access) | Control students received the standard biology-based sex education | Initiation of sexual intercourse, use of birth control methods (condoms, hormonal contraceptive), condom use | |
| Ybarra et al. 2013 [52] | Uganda | CyberSenga, a five-hour online healthy sexuality program | Received standard program (e.g., school-delivered sexuality programming) | Condom use | |
| Optimizing inter-pregnancy intervals | Baqui et al. 2018 [53] | Uganda | Integrated post-partum family planning and maternal and newborn health interventions | Received maternal and newborn health interventions only | Preterm births, contraception use, subsequent pregnancy incidences |
| Daniel et al. 2008 [30] | India | PRACHAR Project, which utilized a communication intervention approach | Comparison areas were chosen because their socioeconomic conditions and accessibility were similar to those of the intervention communities | Contraception use, related attitudes and knowledge (toward early childbearing) | |
| Pandey et al. 2016 [47] | India | Prachar Project’s reproductive health training program for adolescents, which consists of three days of training and focused on addressing adolescents’ need for information, contraceptive supplies, parental and community support, and a youth-friendly health system | A cohort of similar young people who were not exposed to the program | Use of birth control methods (modern, condoms), knowledge and attitudes about the risk of unintended pregnancies | |
| Zhu et al. 2009 [54] | China | Two post-abortion family planning (FP) service packages: (1) package included provision of limited information and referral to existing FP services, and (2) comprehensive package with additional individual counselling, free provision of contraceptive materials, and involvement of the male partner | Comparison between the two interventions | Pregnancy, repeat abortion rate, use of birth control methods | |
| Peri-conceptional folic acid supplementation | Berry et al. 1999 [55] | China | Daily supplement containing 400 mg folic acid. Divided women who took folic acid pills according to the pattern of use based on the dates they started and stopped taking folic acid | No control, a comparison group | Neural tube defects, pregnancy outcome, pattern of use of folic acid pills |
| Li et al. 2014 [56] | China | Received folic acid but did not drink milk throughout the trial | Did not take folic acid tablets and did not drink milk throughout the trial | Serum folate concentrations | |
| Rosenthal et al. 2008 [57] | Honduras | Two supplementation groups: (1) daily dosage of 1000 μg (1 mg) folic acid, and (2) received a once-weekly dosage of 5000 μg (5 mg) | Control | Serum folate | |
| Vergel et al. 1990 [58] | Cuba | 5 mg folic acid/day for not less than one menstrual period before conception until the 10th week of pregnancy. (1) Fully supplemented: those who followed a full regime, and (2) partially supplemented | No supplementation, patients were in early stage of pregnancy | Pregnancy outcome (miscarriage, neural tube defects) | |
| Wehby et al. 2012 [59] | Brazil | Received either a single pill of 4000 μg (4 mg) folic acid or 400 μg (0.4 mg) of folic acid daily to be continued until the end of the first trimester | Historical control group | Serum folate, red blood cell folate | |
| Peri-conceptional iron-folic acid supplementation | Agarwal et al. 2003 [60] | India | Weekly or daily iron-folate (100 mg elemental iron, 500 µg of folic) | No supplementation for first 100 days, then same as daily group | Anemia, hemoglobin concentration, plasma ferritin |
| Ahmed et al. 2001 [61] | Bangladesh | Iron + folic acid (120 mg elemental Fe, 3.5 mg folic acid) | Placebo | Anemia, iron deficiency, adherence to supplementation | |
| Februhartanty et al. 2001 [62] | Indonesia | Two groups: (1) received a weekly iron tablet and (2) took an iron tablet for four consecutive days during their menstrual cycle. Iron tablet included 60 mg of elemental iron and 0.25 mg folic acid in the form of 200 mg ferrous sulphate | Placebo | Prevalence of anemia | |
| Gilgen et al. 2001 [63] | Bangladesh | Received weekly iron supplementation (200 mg ferrous fumarate and 200 mg folic acid) for 24 weeks | Placebo manufactured by the same company | Anemia | |
| Hall et al. 2002 [64] | Mali | Received weekly for tablets providing 65 mg iron and 0.25 mg folic acid for 10 weeks | No iron tablets were given | Prevalence of anemia, adherence to supplementation | |
| Kanani & Poojara 2000 [65] | India | Received iron folic acid tablets for 3 months (60 mg elemental iron + 0.5 mg folic acid per day) | Placebo supplement | Adherence to supplementation | |
| Muro et al. 1999 [66] | Tanzania | Iron-folic acid only (iron sulphate 65 mg and folic acid 0.25 mg) | No intervention | Anemia, adherence to supplementation, adverse effects | |
| Shah & Gupta2002 [67] | Nepal | Weekly vs daily iron-folic acid supplementation: (1) once daily for 90–100 days and (2) once weekly for 14 weeks; 350 mg ferrous sulfate and 1.5 mg folic acid combination | No supplementation | Anemia | |
| Shobha & Sharada 2003 [68] | India | Daily vs twice-weekly iron for a duration of 12 weeks; 60 mg iron, 0.5 mg folic acid | No pure control, comparison between duration | Adverse effects | |
| Soekarjo et al. 2004 [69] | Indonesia | Weekly 60 mg elemental iron (as ferrous sulphate) plus 250 mg folate | No supplementation | Anemia, adverse effects |