Do text messages about health and development in young children affect caregiver behaviour and child outcomes? A systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: Inadequate caregiving conditions interfere with successful health and development outcomes. Access to appropriate information can result in improved health and development outcomes in children. Health promotion text messaging, a primary mHealth strategy, has been implemented in various countries to reach communities where the majority of the population may be living in poverty and lacks access to information and health services. This systematic review investigated what effect the provision of information regarding health and development in young children, using text messages, has on caregiver behaviour and child outcomes. Method: The review was conducted according to the PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols) guidelines. Studies were retrieved from Scopus, MEDLINE, PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection and Cochrane library using primary search phrases. The search was not limited to a specific period. Thematic analysis was used to organise and synthesise the information extracted from selected studies into main and sub-themes. Results: In total, 19 studies were identified, including randomised controlled trials (RCTs) ( n = 13, 68.42%), observational studies ( n = 3, 15.79%) and non-RCTs ( n = 3, 15.79%). Message content included educational information regarding health and development (89.47%), reminders (36.84%) and caregiver support (52.63%). The majority of studies ( n = 17; 89.47%) found statistically significant positive effects of text message intervention on caregiver behaviour. Text messages also affected child outcomes, with 15.79% ( n = 3) of studies reporting a positive effect. Conclusion: Text messaging is an effective tool to influence caregiver behaviour and child outcomes in health. There is however limited evidence regarding text message intervention effectiveness on child development, both in quality and in quantity. More research, especially in low- and middle-income countries, is necessary.

mHealth-Supported Hearing Health Training for Early Childhood Development Practitioners: An Intervention Study

“…The mHealth training program for ECD practitioners provides a scalable, low-cost training for primary and secondary prevention of childhood hearing loss, especially in low-and middle-income countries and communities of low SES. Furthermore, the provision of training material via an instant-messaging application has important advantages, including cost-effective administration of an intervention program, efficient management, and easy distribution across geographic boundaries [ 28 , 41 , 42 ]. This study was the first of its kind to evaluate the use of an mHealth training program to support knowledge and awareness of hearing health [ 20 ].…”

“…Innovative mHealth approaches are rapidly becoming important for public health care in LMICs, providing tools for awareness, health promotion campaigns, and services that are accessible and can scale rapidly [ 20 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ]. In addition, the ubiquity of mobile phones and increased internet access have created an opportunity to optimize the implementation of mHealth services and potentially increase the efficiency of various service-delivery cadres [ 18 , 19 , 24 ].…”

“…Employing mHealth to train personnel such as ECD practitioners who serve as front-line workers in vulnerable communities can promote and support primary and secondary prevention of childhood hearing loss. However, limited evidence exists regarding the effectiveness of mHealth training interventions for ECD practitioners on hearing health in young children [ 28 ]. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of an mHealth training program on ECD practitioners’ knowledge and perceptions of hearing in young children.…”

Engagement With and Acceptability of Digital Media Platforms for Use in Improving Health Behaviors Among Vulnerable Families: Systematic Review

“…The authors reported that social media interventions are more effective among disadvantaged populations such as youth, older adults, low-income people, and people residing in rural areas. Richardson et al [ 16 ] reported that SMS text messaging is an effective tool to influence caregiver behavior and child outcomes in health, whereas the results of the studies reviewed by Poorman et al [ 17 ] were mixed, and the authors concluded that SMS texting interventions that are based on an established theory of behavior change and use motivational language, as opposed to informational language, are more likely to be successful.…”

“…Digital communication campaigns have been leveraged to improve nutrition and physical activity (PA), increase breastfeeding and immunization rates, reduce barriers to preventive health screenings, and improve access to mental health support [14][15][16][17]. Petkovic et al [14] reported that social media interventions designed to increase PA may be effective, and social media interventions may improve overall well-being.…”