Key Social Norms Take-aways The Confiance Totale campaign effectively influenced social norms related to family planning by leveraging mass media to challenge misperceptions about peer behaviors and build trust in healthcare providers. The campaign’s ideational approach shifted both descriptive and injunctive norms, particularly among women, and encouraged greater partner communication and decision-making autonomy. These changes highlight the importance of addressing perceived peer behaviors and provider attitudes in transforming social norms around contraceptive use.
Objectives The objective of the Confiance Totale campaign was to increase demand for family planning services at government health centers during the COVID-19 pandemic by addressing barriers such as mistrust in providers, misinformation about service availability, and social norms limiting contraceptive use.
Methods A cross-sectional household survey was conducted in Lomé and Blitta, Togo, among 2,200 adults aged 18–49. Participants were selected using a stratified random sampling design. The evaluation employed multivariable regression models to analyze associations between campaign exposure and ideational and behavioral family planning outcomes, with models stratified by gender.
Intervention Details The Confiance Totale campaign was a radio-based mass media intervention that aired nine short audio spots in French and two local languages across seven stations. Broadcasts occurred 15 times daily over six months in 2021. Messages were designed using the Saturation+ approach and focused on reassuring the public about service availability, encouraging trust in providers, and promoting couple communication around family planning. The campaign used narrative-driven messaging and testimonials to model supportive behaviors and address normative barriers.
Results Nearly half of all respondents reported campaign exposure. Exposure was associated with greater contraceptive use, intention to use family planning, and intention to visit a health facility. Those exposed also reported stronger ideational factors, including greater knowledge, self-efficacy, partner communication, and perceived support for family planning. Among women, campaign exposure significantly predicted supportive social norms around postpartum contraception, partner discussions, and perceived approval from peers and providers. The campaign had less consistent impacts on men despite higher exposure levels.
Conclusions This technical report summarizes that the Confiance Totale campaign successfully shifted social norms and ideational drivers of family planning use, especially among women. It demonstrates that mass media can effectively influence both perceptions of peer behavior and provider trust, two critical dimensions of social norms. Tailoring interventions to address gender differences in norms and information access is vital to maximize impact.