DC Accepted Papers Paper:
Leveraging Social Networks for Increased Impact of Mass Media Campaigns on Family Planning Adoption - the Case of South Nyanza, Kenya
*Names in bold indicate Presenter
Mass media campaigns for family planning aim to increase contraception prevalence and promote smaller families by improving awareness and initiating social and behavior change. However, in high fertility areas with a low contraception prevalence rate, the decision to adopt contraception is characterized by uncertainty regarding the social acceptance of adopting this innovation and its effect on fertility, especially with misinformation. Individuals embedded in a community seek additional information to overcome this by observing social norms and the experiences of contraception use of those around them. This thesis explores how the content and structure of interpersonal interactions condition the relation between mass media exposure and contraception adoption. It also aims to identify the processes through which these network effects are unfurling. Understanding the interaction of these two sources of information - media campaigns and social cues – in one’s decision-making process can provide insight into the barriers to adopting contraception and how mass media campaigns can be designed to overcome them.
