Table 1.
Characteristics of included studies (n=37)
| n (%) or Mean | |
|---|---|
| Region | |
| North America (Canada, United States) | 13 (35.1) |
| Asia (Bangladesh, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Vietnam) | 9 (24.3) |
| Europe (Italy, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom) | 7 (18.9) |
| Africa (Ghana, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia) | 5 (13.5) |
| South America (Brazil) | 1 (2.7) |
| Oceania (Fiji) | 1 (2.7) |
| Global (Web survey, participants from 112 countries) | 1 (2.7) |
| Gender | |
| Women only | 18 (48.6) |
| Men and women | 16 (43.2) |
| Men only | 3 (8.1) |
| Age | |
| Mean age (n=23 studies) | 21.4 |
| Adolescents (10–19 years) and youth (15–24 years)* | 17 (45.9) |
| Adults (25+ years) | 14 (37.8) |
| University students, age range not reported | 6 (16.2) |
| Type of contraceptive self-care (Multiple responses possible) | |
| Male condoms | 30 (81.1) |
| Client-facing digital technology | 4 (10.8) |
| Oral contraceptives | 4 (10.8) |
| Withdrawal | 3 (8.1) |
| Emergency contraception | 3 (8.1) |
| Other** | 3 (8.1) |
| Study design | |
| Cross-sectional study | 21 (56.8) |
| Qualitative research | 7 (18.9) |
| Randomized controlled trial (RCT) | 6 (16.2) |
| Single-group pre-test post-test study | 2 (5.4) |
| Nonrandomized experimental study | 1 (2.7) |
| Risk of bias, studies with quantitative data (n=31)*** | |
| High risk of bias | 27 (87.1) |
| Low risk of bias | 4 (12.9) |
| Methodological quality, studies with qualitative data (n=7)*** | |
| Good quality | 6 (85.7) |
| Poor quality | 1 (14.3) |
*One study included young people 13–26 years, one study included young people 21–30 years, one study included young people 15–30 years, and one study included young people 18–26 years.
**Other methods were the patch, vaginal ring, DMPA-SC self-injection, diaphragm, foam, jelly, lactational amenorrhea method (LAM), periodic abstinence, and rhythm method.
***One study reported both quantitative and qualitative data and is represented in both sections. Studies reporting quantitative data were determined to have low risk of bias if they possessed five or more of the eight items. Studies reporting qualitative data were determined to have good methodological quality if they possessed seven or more of the nine items.