The willingness for using mobile phone for health education among women caregivers of under 5 children in an urban resettlement colony in Delhi, India

Abstract

Background: The delivery of health education through mobile phones either through voice calls or text messages (mHealth) provide valuable opportunities for bridging gaps in maternal and child healthcare in resource constrained settings. Aims & Objectives: The objective of the present study was to assess willingness to receive m-Health services among women caregivers of under-5 children. Material & Methods: We conducted a cross sectional study in an urban resettlement colony of North East District of Delhi during the period from September’ 2016 to Feb’ 2017.  We enrolled 201 adult women up to 35 years of age who were active caregiver of at-least one under 5 child in their familial household. Results: The mean age of the women was 26.4 and mean years of schooling was 10.1 years. Nearly three-fourth (73.2%) could read text messages (SMS) while more than a third (36.8%) were using mobile internet services. The willingness to receive mHealth services for health promotion was affirmed by 157 (78.2%) subjects but it was significantly lower in women with low educational attainment. Conclusion: There exists a strong unmet need for mHealth services among young women caregivers of under 5 children. However, bridging the digital divide is a key challenge towards advancing mHealth for all.