TY - JOUR T1 - Thematic Analysis and Mapping of Reproductive Empowerment Scales: A Tool for Family Planning Self-Care Programming and Research JF - Global Health: Science and Practice JO - GLOB HEALTH SCI PRACT DO - 10.9745/GHSP-D-21-00794 VL - 10 IS - 3 SP - e2100794 AU - Holly M. Burke AU - Reana Thomas Y1 - 2022/06/29 UR - http://www.ghspjournal.org/content/10/3/e2100794.abstract N2 - Key MessagesThere is an evidence gap in the relationship between self-care and reproductive empowerment; understanding this relationship using validated scales is necessary to improve the design, implementation, and scale-up of family planning self-care interventions.We summarize 5 validated scales that measure reproductive empowerment-related concepts and offer a thematic analysis to help family planning programmers and researchers assess which scales best fit their needs for family planning self-care programming.Communication, decision making, and partner influence are the most measured domains among the scales we examined; however, measures of other reproductive empowerment domains are available and may be of interest to programs depending on their context and focus.In the past decade, the field of family planning has seen an acceleration in conversations about self-care interventions and, within that, a resurgence of discussions on reproductive empowerment. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines self-care as1: the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of the health provider.Self-care spans a range of practices including self-awareness, self-testing, and self-management, and self-care interventions are tools that support self-care.1 Reproductive empowerment is defined as the capacity of individuals to achieve their reproductive goals,2 and it is recognized as a fundamental principle for self-care.Understanding the relationship between self-care and empowerment is necessary to improve the design, implementation, and scale-up of family planning self-care interventions. Yet, evidence on the relationship between reproductive empowerment and self-care, including the strength of the association, the direction of the association, or the hypothetical causality, is inadequate. A recent systematic review we conducted to understand the relationship between contraceptive self-care interventions and reproductive empowerment found clear gaps in the gray and published literature.3 Following the WHO guideline on self-care interventions,1 … ER -