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Impact of smartphone ownership on improved access to digital menstrual health information and accurate fertility cycle tracking among Liberian women: Evidence from 2020 Demographic and Health Survey
1  Department of Public Health, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, B15 3TN, United Kingdom
Academic Editor: James Chow

Abstract:

Background: The availability and accessibility of mobile and digital health resources have continued to have far-reaching, positive effects on people's health and health outcomes globally. The adoption of digital (mHealth) tools for disseminating health information and managing health care delivery has garnered greater attention in population health in recent years. Evidence has shown that mobile phones are a helpful tool for accessing and delivering targeted health information and interventions, which has been well documented in several countries. However, less is known about the use of such devices and other digital health resources to enhance reproductive health knowledge, including understanding of the fertility cycle, among Liberian women. Methods: A multilevel regression analysis was applied to data from 8,065 women aged 15-49 who participated in the Liberian Demographic and Health Survey conducted between 2019 and 2020 across the whole country. Results: The findings show that use of a mobile phone for searching targeted reproductive health messages (OR =2.56; 95% CI: 1.98 to 3.20), having secondary and higher education (OR =1.87; 95% CI: 1.74 to 2.24), and daily use of the internet on a smart phone (OR =1.62; 95% CI: 1.58 to 2.12) were all associated with exposure to and improved knowledge of menstrual cycle patterns. Additionally, results show that individuals from more affluent households are more likely (OR = 2.16; 95% CI: 2.86-3.42) to own a smartphone and use it to track their menstrual cycle and access general reproductive health messages. Conclusion: Ownership of mobile phones, use of smart/mobile phones for accessing health information and targeted reproductive health messages, and various characteristics of women are associated with improved knowledge of menstrual cycle length and patterns and how best to track it. The government should make efforts to ensure that innovative health messages, such as the mobile obstetric emergency system (MORES), available via WhatsApp, are scaled across all health domains using digital tools.

Keywords: mhealth; fertility; socioeconomic; digital health;Liberia; Demographic health survey.

 
 
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