This indicator can be disaggregated by audience characteristics (age, sex, geographic location, rural/urban status, or other characteristics of interest to the program).

Intention is relevant among members of the target audience that do not yet practice the behavior. Although “intention” is a behavioral response that could be classified as an intermediate outcome, it tends to be used in connection with the evaluation of social and behavior change communication (SBCC) programs as an important step between non-use and use, which behavioral studies often overlook.

Evaluators may also measure degree of intention or of probability of adopting the practice by asking members of the audience to respond in terms of a five-point word scale of likelihood (definitely, probably, unsure, probably not, and definitely not).

An alternative approach is to combine two types of intent to arrive at a single desired behavior (e.g., safer sex). Communication programs directed at youth might measure the percent of the audience that report high intention to abstain from sex before marriage or that definitely intend to use a condom every time they have sex.

Mass media generally focus on creating awareness of a benefit or sparking a latent need: (Do you want your baby to be healthier?) Evaluators can measure the ability to create a felt need by the reported intention (“I intend to breastfeed my baby exclusively for six months because it will make him/her healthier”). Based on theories of persuasion, the messages designed for reproductive health SBCC interventions usually attempt to link practice to new benefits/values, to increase the importance of those values, and/or to strengthen the belief that such benefits will indeed result from the practice in question. Evaluators use focus group discussions or in-depth interviews with audience members to identify the most important attitudes related to intention and practice of the behavior.