Framing Sustainable Choices: A Randomized Information Intervention on Bio-Based Sanitary Pad Adoption in Northern Ghana

Last registered on March 10, 2026

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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title

Framing Sustainable Choices: A Randomized Information Intervention on Bio-Based Sanitary Pad Adoption in Northern Ghana

RCT ID

AEARCTR-0018033

Initial registration date

March 06, 2026

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published

March 10, 2026, 10:30 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name

Franziska Jäckel

Affiliation

University of Passau

Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status

In development

Start date

2026-03-09

End date

2026-04-10

Keywords

Behavior, Education, Gender, Health

Additional Keywords

Menstrual health, period poverty, product adoption, behavioral intervention, social norms, adolescent girls, school attendance, field RCT, Ghana

JEL code(s)

C93, D91, I12, I15, I21, J16, Q01

Secondary IDs

Prior work

This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.

Abstract

This study examines how adolescent girls in Ghana respond to different information campaigns about the introduction of a bio-based disposable menstrual pad made from plantain residues. The product is designed to address persistent period poverty by offering a safe and affordable alternative to conventional pads, while also reducing environmental harm from improper disposal and generating local value through agricultural by-product use. Despite ongoing challenges related to menstrual stigma and access, little is known about how environmentally friendly or “waste-based” menstrual products are perceived and valued in low-resource settings. Building on prior campaigns in which senior high school girls received menstrual hygiene management (MHM) information and product promotion through a local partner start-up, we implement a cluster-randomized controlled trial to study how message framing affects behavioral intentions and stated demand. The trial compares two flyer-based interventions grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior that reinforce previously delivered messages: a social norm framing, emphasizing peer approval and increasing prevalence of use, and an environmental framing, highlighting ecological benefits and reduced disposal harm. The primary outcomes include menstrual stigma, perceived autonomy, and stated willingness to pay. Additional measures capture hypothetical budget allocation choices, perceived social costs, environmental valuation proxies, attitudes, norm perceptions, and non-monetary switching costs. Using these measures to predict behavioral responses, the study aims to inform policy on how to increase acceptability and ultimately the purchase of sustainable menstrual products in contexts where stigma and resource constraints remain significant barriers.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation

Jäckel, Franziska. 2026. "Framing Sustainable Choices: A Randomized Information Intervention on Bio-Based Sanitary Pad Adoption in Northern Ghana." AEA RCT Registry. March 10. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.18033-1.0

Sponsors & Partners

Interventions

Intervention(s)

We implement a cluster-randomized controlled trial among senior high school girls in Ghana to study responses to a bio-based disposable menstrual pad made from plantain residues. The intervention consists of short flyer-based messages that reinforce two different aspects of previously delivered menstrual hygiene management (MHM) information and product promotion conducted by a local partner.

Schools are randomly allocated to one of two messaging strategies grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior. The first treatment uses a social norms framing, emphasizing that use of the bio-based pads is common and socially approved among peers. The second uses an environmental framing, highlighting the ecological consequences of improper disposal of conventional products and the environmental benefits of plant-based materials.

Intervention Start Date

2026-03-09

Intervention End Date

2026-04-10

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)

1. Menstrual stigma (index)
2. Perceived autonomy in menstrual product choice (index)
3. Stated willingness to pay (WTP) for bio-based pads

Primary Outcomes (explanation)

1. Menstrual stigma index: Constructed from multiple Likert-scale items measuring perceived shame, secrecy, and anticipated social judgment related to menstruation. Items will be standardized and aggregated into an index.

2. Perceived autonomy index: Constructed from items capturing perceived control and decision-making power regarding menstrual product choice.

3. Stated willingness to pay (WTP): Measured using hypothetical multiple price list (MPL) formats and direct valuation questions. These measures reflect stated, non-incentivized demand.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)

1. Product Preference (Discrete Choice Task)
Binary indicator for choosing bio-based pads in a hypothetical choice scenario including locally available menstrual product alternatives (e.g., conventional pads, reusable cloth). This serves as the primary behavioral preference measure.

2. Attitudes Toward Bio-Based Pads
Index based on two Likert-scale items capturing overall evaluation of bio-based pads (positive opinion and perceived goodness).

3. Perceived Subjective Norms
Index consisting of:
i) Injunctive norm (perceived approval of important others)
ii) Descriptive norm (perceived prevalence of use in the community)

4. Perceived Behavioral Control and Switching Constraints
Two-item index measuring confidence in ability to use bio-based pads and perceived ease of switching.
Conditional follow-up module capturing reported constraints (e.g., availability, affordability, knowledge, social approval) if perceived control is low.

5. Environmental Importance (Proxy Measure)
Single Likert-scale item measuring the importance of environmental considerations in menstrual product choice decisions.

Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary outcomes are designed to measure the mechanisms underlying treatment effects. They capture changes in:

1. Product preferences (behavioral choice under hypothetical but realistic conditions),
2. Attitudes toward bio-based menstrual products,
3. Perceived injunctive and descriptive social norms,
4. Perceived behavioral control and perceived constraints related to switching,
5. The importance of environmental considerations in product decisions.

All constructs are measured using short, pre-specified Likert-scale items (5-point response scales) except for the discrete choice task, which captures behavioral preference across locally relevant product alternatives. Switching constraints are assessed using a conditional follow-up module triggered by low perceived control responses.

Experimental Design

This study uses a cluster-randomized controlled design to compare two messaging strategies promoting a bio-based disposable menstrual pad among senior high school girls in Ghana. Participating schools previously received menstrual hygiene management (MHM) information and product promotion through a local partner.

In this study, schools are randomly assigned to receive one of two flyer-based reinforcement messages: a social norms framing or an environmental framing. Within each school, eligible senior high school girls are exposed to the respective flyer. Outcomes are measured through structured surveys and economic elicitation tasks administered after exposure to the intervention.

Experimental Design Details

Not available

Randomization Method

Randomization was conducted in office by computer using statistical software (STATA) and a reproducible random seed.

Randomization Unit

School (cluster-level randomization).

Was the treatment clustered?

Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters

32 schools.

Sample size: planned number of observations

512 female senior high school students.

Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms

Social norms framing: 16 schools, 256 female senior high school students.
Environmental framing: 16 schools, 256 female senior high school students.

Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)

The unit of randomization is the school. The study takes place in secondary schools in Tamale Metropolitan Area, Ghana. Schools in this setting are culturally relatively homogeneous (predominantly Muslim urban/peri-urban context), but differ in infrastructure quality, school management, prior NGO exposure, and peer environments. We therefore expect moderate intra-cluster correlation (ICC), particularly for norm-related outcomes such as menstrual stigma and perceived social costs. Because randomization occurs at the school level, statistical power depends primarily on the number of schools rather than the number of girls interviewed within each school. We plan to interview 8–16 girls per school. We consider three scenarios: Planned scenario: 32 schools (16 per arm) Realistic scenario: 24 schools (12 per arm) Pessimistic scenario: 18 schools (9 per arm) Assuming ICC values in the range of 0.05–0.15 (plausible for attitudinal and norm-based outcomes in this context), power is sufficient to detect moderate standardized effect sizes (approximately 0.35–0.50 SD) in the planned and realistic scenarios. Under the pessimistic scenario and higher ICC values (≥0.15), only larger effects (≥0.50 SD) are likely to be detectable. Given the theoretical risk of within-school spillovers for norm-based outcomes, we prioritize school-level randomization despite reduced statistical power relative to within-school designs.

Supporting Documents and Materials

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IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name

Kommission für Ethik in der Forschung (Universität Passau)

IRB Approval Date

2026-03-05

IRB Approval Number

III/Jäckel_I-07.5095/260122

Analysis Plan