Does women’s mobile phone ownership matter for health? Evidence from 15 countries

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 t...

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Veröffentlicht in:BMJ global health Jg. 5; H. 5; S. e002524
Hauptverfasser: LeFevre, Amnesty E, Shah, Neha, Bashingwa, Jean Juste Harrisson, George, Asha S, Mohan, Diwakar
Format: Journal Article
Sprache:Englisch
Veröffentlicht: England BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 01.05.2020
BMJ Publishing Group LTD
BMJ Publishing Group
Schlagworte:
Access to information
Analysis
Cellular telephones
Children & youth
Childrens health
Families & family life
Family planning
Gender
Global health
Health services
Internet access
Low income groups
Postpartum period
Prenatal care
Public health
Rural areas
Social norms
Sociodemographics
Tetanus
Urban areas
Womens health
Ethiopia
Pakistan
public health
ISSN:2059-7908, 2059-7908
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Zusammenfassung: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.
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ISSN:2059-7908
2059-7908
DOI:10.1136/bmjgh-2020-002524