The role of social norms on adolescent family planning in rural Kilifi county, Kenya
Outcomes: Sexual and Reproductive Health
View SourceKey Social Norms Take-aways This study reinforces that social norms are multi-layered and gendered. Among young women, especially those who are unmarried, affiliation with peers who use modern contraception can reduce stigma and encourage uptake. Programs should target not just individual beliefs, but also reshape community norms and leverage peer influence—particularly same-sex peer networks—to foster supportive environments for adolescent reproductive health.
Objectives This study aimed to assess how different types of social norms—descriptive, injunctive, and collective (network-based)—influence the use of modern contraception (MC) among adolescents and young adults in rural Kenya. The goal was to clarify how social influences shape contraceptive behaviors and to identify differences by sex and marital status.
Methods Researchers conducted a cross-sectional sociocentric survey in two villages in Kilifi County, Kenya, with 763 adolescents and young adults aged 15–24. Participants nominated peers (referents) they spent time with, and data were collected on individual MC use, beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions of peers’ contraceptive behaviors. Descriptive norms (perceptions of others’ behaviors), injunctive norms (perceived social approval), and collective norms (network MC use) were measured and analyzed using logistic regression models, including interaction and subgroup analyses by sex and marital status.
Results Perceived descriptive and injunctive norms were positively associated with individual MC use. While network MC use was also positively associated with individual use in bivariate models, its influence weakened in multivariable models. Stratified analyses revealed that network MC use significantly influenced contraceptive use among female and especially unmarried female participants, but not among males. The strongest referents in these networks were same-sex peers and relatives. No significant interactions between types of norms were detected.
Conclusions Social norms significantly affect contraceptive behaviors among adolescents, particularly for young women in rural Kenya. Interventions must address these multilevel normative influences—perceptions, peer behaviors, and reference group dynamics—to improve adolescent access and uptake of modern contraception.
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