Assessing mobile phone access, usage, and willingness among women to receive voice message-based mobile health intervention to improve antenatal care attendance in district Thatta, Sindh, Pakistan

Abstract Background Pakistan has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios worldwide at 276/100,000 live births and only 51% percent of women receive four or more ANC visits. This means that there are missed opportunities for almost half of the women who were not able to seek the recommended antenatal visits. In Thatta district, the maternal mortality ratio is estimated at 313/100,000 live births. Various studies reported that mHealth interventions have proven to be effective to improve antenatal care and postnatal care services. However, the feasibility and effectiveness of mobile health interventions to increase uptake of preventive maternal healthcare services among pregnant women in different settings may be different due to differing patient demographics, cultural diversity, environmental and behavioral factors, availability and accessibility to mobile phones, and budgetary constraints. Prior to implementing a similar intervention in Thatta District, it is crucially important to assess the mobile phone access, usage and willingness among women to receive voice-message based mHealth intervention to improve antenatal care attendance. Methods A cross-sectional quantitative study will be used to assess mobile phone access, usage and willingness among women to receive voice-message based mHealth intervention to improve antenatal care attendance in District Thatta. The study will be conducted in Thatta district of Sindh province. Married women of reproductive age (MWRA), who are residing in selected villages of Mirpur Sakro and willing to participate will be included in the study. Multistage sampling technique will be used to recruit the 415 study participants. A structured questionnaire has been designed on Epicollect to collect data from 415 women. Data will be analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 23, with a level of significance as <0.05. Discussion This research project will provide invaluable information on the current access, usage of mobile phones among women of district Thatta and their willingness to receive voice messages to improve the antenatal care services. The study will also highlight demographic, sociocultural and economic factors associated with women willingness and readiness to receive voice messages regarding antenatal care.

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What does it mean for a woman to have access to a phone in India? Implications for the development of mHealth interventions for maternal health (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.34852 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ruchita S. Pendse ◽

Alison M. El Ayadi ◽

Preetika Sharma ◽

Alka Ahuja ◽

Darshan Hosapatna Basavarajappa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mobile Phone ◽

Mobile Phones ◽

Mobile Health ◽

Gender Gap ◽

Digital Health ◽

Family Members ◽

Postpartum Care ◽

Future Research ◽

Pregnancy And Postpartum ◽

Phone Access

BACKGROUND As mobile phone uptake in India continues to grow, there is continued interest in mobile platform-based interventions for health education among other topics. Existing studies demonstrate a significant gender gap in mobile phone access, and suggest women’s access to mobile phones is constrained by economic and diverse social barriers. Pregnancy and postpartum care is one of many targets for mobile health (mHealth) interventions which particularly rely on women’s access to and facility with mobile phone use. OBJECTIVE This paper describes dynamics and patterns of women’s mobile phone access and use among both phone owners and non-owners, including potential barriers to mHealth participation. METHODS Mixed-methods data were obtained from two different surveys (n=102 and n=29), two sets of in-depth interviews (n=20 and 29), and weekly data collection obtained in preparation for or within the pilot of an mHealth postpartum care intervention in rural Punjab in July 2020-February 2021. RESULTS A majority of women owned their own phone, though about half (52%) of phone owners still reported sharing their phone with other family members. Sharing a phone with female family members typically allowed for better access than sharing with male family members. Some households have strict preferences against daughters-in-law having phones, or otherwise significantly restrict or control women’s phone access. Others reported concerns about phone use-related health hazards during pregnancy or postpartum for mother and infant. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest significant variability and nuance to what is meant by women’s phone ownership and access given the numerous additional constraints on their use of phones, particularly during pregnancy and postpartum. Future research and mHealth interventions should probe these domains to better understand these dynamics governing women’s access, use, and fluency with mobile phones to optimally design mHealth interventions. mHealth, mobile health, digital health, India, pregnancy, pregnant women, postpartum, postpartum care INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-10.2196/preprints.34087

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The Use of Mobile Phones by Women Accessing Health Care Services in Bangladesh: A Cross-Sectional Study

Current Women s Health Reviews ◽

10.2174/1573404817666210702163730 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 ◽

Author(s):

Md Mosharaf Hossain ◽

Ruhani Mat Min ◽

Madihah Mohd

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Antenatal Care ◽

Mobile Phone ◽

Mobile Phones ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Level Of Education ◽

Care Services ◽

To Receive

Background: Maternal and neonatal mortality rates still pose a global challenge. Objectives: The present study aimed to identify the socio-demographic characteristics of mobile users trying to access antenatal care services, transportation to facilities, and postnatal care for mothers and newborns. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that used data collected from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2014. Data were gathered using a questionnaire. Participants comprised 4,494 mothers aged between 14 and 49. Models of logistic regression were used to determine associations. Results: The overall sample size was 4494, with only 22.23% of women using mobile phones. Among these, 29.9% used their mobile phones to obtain health services or advice and 70.1% did not. Women with mobile phones who had a higher level of education used them to receive more health care (secondary and higher: OR = 1.922, 95%CI = 1.225−3.014; primary: OR = 1.982, 95% CI = 1.738−2.654); they were of higher socio-economic status (rich: OR = 1.228, 95% CI = 1.009&−1.494; middle income: OR = 1.691, 95% CI = 1.256−2.333); they accessed more prenatal care (yes: OR = 1.993, 95% CI = 1.425−1.987) and antenatal care (yes: OR = 1.951, 95% CI = 1.765−1.998); they checked their health status after delivery (yes: OR = 1.966, 95% CI = 1.639−2.357). Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that young women who had a higher level of education and income and resided in urban areas were more likely to use a mobile phone to receive health care facilities in Bangladesh. Intervention studies are essential in recognising that mobile phone-based facilities improve maternal health care.

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Mobile phone use and pre-trial perceptions of the WelTel mobile health intervention among English-as-a-second-language participants with latent tuberculosis infection

Annals of Global Health ◽

10.1016/j.aogh.2016.04.567 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 82 (3) ◽

pp. 597

Author(s):

Kamila Romanowski ◽

Kirsten Smillie ◽

Mia L. Van der Kop ◽

Victoria J. Cook ◽

James Johnston ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Mobile Phone ◽

Mobile Health ◽

Latent Tuberculosis Infection ◽

Latent Tuberculosis ◽

Health Intervention ◽

Tuberculosis Infection ◽

Mobile Phone Use

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Mobile Phone Access and Willingness Among Mothers to Receive a Text-Based mHealth Intervention to Improve Prenatal Care in Northwest Ethiopia: Cross-Sectional Study

JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting ◽

10.2196/pediatrics.9618 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. e9

Author(s):

Berhanu Endehabtu ◽

Adane Weldeab ◽

Martin Were ◽

Richard Lester ◽

Abebaw Worku ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prenatal Care ◽

Mobile Phone ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Northwest Ethiopia ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Mhealth Intervention ◽

Phone Access ◽

To Receive

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A Mobile Health Intervention to Achieve Appropriate Gestational Weight Gain in Overweight/Obese Women

Case Medical Research ◽

10.31525/ct1-nct03880461 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Weight Gain ◽

Gestational Weight Gain ◽

Mobile Health ◽

Health Intervention ◽

Obese Women ◽

Gestational Weight

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An Innovative Mobile Health Intervention to Improve Self-care in Patients With Heart Failure

Case Medical Research ◽

10.31525/ct1-nct04262544 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Mobile Health ◽

Self Care ◽

Health Intervention ◽

Patients With Heart Failure

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Efficacy of Mobile phone use on adherence to Nevirapine prophylaxis and retention in care among the HIV-exposed infants in prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV: a randomized controlled trial

BMC Pediatrics ◽

10.1186/s12887-021-02660-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lilian M. N. Kebaya ◽

Dalton Wamalwa ◽

Nyambura Kariuki ◽

Bashir Admani ◽

Philip Ayieko ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mobile Phone ◽

Infant Feeding ◽

Retention In Care ◽

Control Group ◽

Hiv Exposed Infants ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Phone Calls ◽

Hiv Exposed ◽

To Receive

Abstract Background HIV is a major contributor to infant mortality. A significant gap remains between the uptake of infant and maternal antiretroviral regimens and only a minority of HIV-exposed infants receives prophylaxis and safe infant feeding. Losses to follow-up of HIV-exposed infants are associated with shortcomings of facility-based PMTCT models with weak community support of linkages. Use of mobile phones offers an opportunity for improving care and promoting retention assessed by timely attendance of scheduled appointments for the mother-baby pairs and achievement of an HIV-free generation. The objective of this study was to compare self-reported adherence to infant Nevirapine (NVP) prophylaxis and retention in care assessed by timely attendance of scheduled appointments over 10 weeks in HIV exposed infants randomized to 2-weekly mobile phone calls (intervention) versus no phone calls (control). Methods In this open label randomized controlled study, one hundred and fifty HIV infected women drawn from 3 health facilities in Western Kenya and their infants were randomly assigned to receive either phone-based reminders on PMTCT messages or standard health care messages (no calls) within 24 h of delivery. Women in the intervention arm continued to receive fortnightly phone calls. At 6- and 10-weeks following randomization we collected data on infant adherence to Nevirapine, mode of infant feeding, early HIV testing and retention in care in both study arms. All analyses were intention to treat. Results At 6 weeks follow-up, 90.7% (n = 68) of participants receiving phone calls reported adherence to infant NVP prophylaxis, compared with 72% (n = 54) of participants in the control group (p = 0.005). Participants in the intervention arm were also significantly more likely to remain in care than participants in the control group [78.7% (n = 59) vs. 58.7% (n = 44), p = 0.009 at 6 weeks and 69.3% (n = 52) vs. 37.3% (n = 28), p < 0.001 at 10 weeks]. Conclusions These results suggest that phone calls are potentially an important tool to improve adherence to infant NVP prophylaxis and retention in care for HIV-exposed infants. Trial registration PACTR202007654729602. Registered 6 June 2018 - Retrospectively registered, https://pactr.samrc.ac.za/TrialDisplay.aspx?TrialID=3449

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Effects of a novel mobile health intervention compared to a multi-component behaviour changing program on body mass index, physical capacities and stress parameters in adolescents with obesity: a randomized controlled trial

BMC Pediatrics ◽

10.1186/s12887-021-02781-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

A. Stasinaki ◽

D. Büchter ◽

C.-H. I. Shih ◽

K. Heldt ◽

S. Güsewell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Body Mass Index ◽

Muscle Mass ◽

Body Mass ◽

Body Fat ◽

Mobile Health ◽

Health Intervention ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Physical Capacities ◽

Stress Parameters

Abstract Background Less than 2% of overweight children and adolescents in Switzerland can participate in multi-component behaviour changing interventions (BCI), due to costs and lack of time. Stress often hinders positive health outcomes in youth with obesity. Digital health interventions, with fewer on-site visits, promise health care access in remote regions; however, evidence for their effectiveness is scarce. Methods This randomized controlled not blinded trial (1:1) was conducted in a childhood obesity center in Switzerland. Forty-one youth aged 10–18 years with body mass index (BMI) > P.90 with risk factors or co-morbidities or BMI > P.97 were recruited. During 5.5 months, the PathMate2 group (PM) received daily conversational agent counselling via mobile app, combined with standardized counselling (4 on-site visits). Controls (CON) participated in a BCI (7 on-site visits). We compared the outcomes of both groups after 5.5 (T1) and 12 (T2) months. Primary outcome was reduction in BMI-SDS (BMI standard deviation score: BMI adjusted for age and sex). Secondary outcomes were changes in body fat and muscle mass (bioelectrical impedance analysis), waist-to-height ratio, physical capacities (modified Dordel-Koch-Test), blood pressure and pulse. Additionally, we hypothesized that less stressed children would lose more weight. Thus, children performed biofeedback relaxation exercises while stress parameters (plasma cortisol, stress questionnaires) were evaluated. Results At intervention start median BMI-SDS of all patients (18 PM, 13 CON) was 2.61 (obesity > + 2SD). BMI-SDS decreased significantly in CON at T1, but not at T2, and did not decrease in PM during the study. Muscle mass, strength and agility improved significantly in both groups at T2; only PM reduced significantly their body fat at T1 and T2. Average daily PM app usage rate was 71.5%. Cortisol serum levels decreased significantly after biofeedback but with no association between stress parameters and BMI-SDS. No side effects were observed. Conclusions Equally to BCI, PathMate2 intervention resulted in significant and lasting improvements of physical capacities and body composition, but not in sustained BMI-SDS decrease. This youth-appealing mobile health intervention provides an interesting approach for youth with obesity who have limited access to health care. Biofeedback reduces acute stress and could be an innovative adjunct to usual care.

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