Article Text
Abstract
Mobile phones have the potential to increase access to health information, improve patient–provider communication, and influence the content and quality of health services received. Evidence on the gender gap in ownership of mobile phones is limited, and efforts to link phone ownership among women to care-seeking and practices for reproductive maternal newborn and child health (RMNCH) have yet to be made. This analysis aims to assess household and women’s access to phones and its effects on RMNCH health outcomes in 15 countries for which Demographic and Health Surveys data on phone ownership are available. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to explore factors associated with women’s phone ownership, along with the association of phone ownership to a wide range of RMNCH indicators. Study findings suggest that (1) gender gaps in mobile phone ownership vary, but they can be substantial, with less than half of women owning mobile phones in several countries; (2) the gender gap in phone ownership is larger for rural and poorer women; (3) women’s phone ownership is generally associated with better RMNCH indicators; (4) among women phone owners, utilisation of RMNCH care-seeking and practices differs based on their income status; and (5) more could be done to unleash the potential of mobile phones on women’s health if data gaps and varied metrics are addressed. Findings reinforce the notion that without addressing the gender gap in phone ownership, digital health programmes may be at risk of worsening existing health inequities.
- public health
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Footnotes
Twitter @ashageorge72
Contributors AEL (the guarantor) and DM conceived the idea for this analysis. NS and DM conducted the analyses, based on coding provided by JJHB, and with inputs from AEL. AEL wrote the first draft of the manuscript with inputs from DM and NS. AG provided critical inputs to the presentation and interpretation of data, and edits to the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final version.
Funding This work was financially supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through a grant to the Countdown to 2030 for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health. AG is supported by Health Systems Extra Mural Unit funded by the South African Medical Research Council and the South African Research Chair's Initiative of the Department of Science and Technology and National Research Foundation of South Africa (grant no. 82769).
Competing interests None declared.
Patient and public involvement Patients and/or the public were not involved in the design, or conduct, or reporting, or dissemination plans of this research.
Patient consent for publication Not required.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.
Data availability statement Data are publically available from ICF Macro.