ArticleBMC medical research methodology2022
Developing an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data-based mobile phone app to provide adolescents with sexual reproductive health information: a human-centered design approach.
Article in BMC medical research methodology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.
- An Unstructured Supplementary Service Data-Based mHealth App Providing On-Demand Sexual Reproductive Health Information for Adolescents in Kibra, Kenya: Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2022Trial
- Article
- Perspectives of adolescents and young people on Digital Health Interventions and their impact on health knowledge.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- TELEHEALTH and digital health platforms in promoting access to sexual reproductive health self care among youth: A case of rocket health services in Uganda.PLOS digital health · 2025Article
- [Systematic review of teen pregnancy prevention programs using websites and chatbotsProgramas de prevenção de gravidez na adolescência com base em sites e chatbots: revisão sistemática].Revista panamericana de salud publica = Pan American journal of public health · 2025Article
- Developing an mHealth program to improve HIV care continuum outcomes among young Black gay and bisexual men.BMC public health · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAdolescent pregnancies and sexually-transmitted infections continue to impact 15 - 19-year-olds across the globe. The lack of sexual reproductive health information (SRH) in resource-limited settings due to cultural and societal attitudes towards adolescent SRH could be contributing to the negative outcomes. Innovative approaches, including mobile phone technologies, are needed to address the need for reliable adolescent SRH information.
objectiveThe study aimed to co-design a Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) based mobile app prototype to provide confidential adolescent SRH information on-demand and evaluate the mobile app's usability and user experience.
methodsA human-centered design methodology was applied. This practice framework allowed the perspectives and feedback of adolescent users to be included in the iterative design process. To participate, an adolescent must have been 15 to 19 years old, resided in Kibra and would be able to access a mobile phone. Adolescents were enrolled for the alpha and field testing of the app prototype at different time-points. The Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) a multidimensional mobile phone evaluation tool was used to access the functionality, engagement, aesthetics and quality of information in the app. Responses from the MARS were reported as mean scores for each category and a mean of the aggregate scores making the app's quality score. The MARS data was also evaluated as categorical data, A Chi square test of independence was carried out to show significance of any observed differences using cumulative and inverse cumulative distribution functions.
resultsDuring the usability test, 62/109 (54.9%) of the adolescents that were followed-up had used the app at least once, 30/62 (48.4%) of these were male participants and 32/62 (51.6%) female. On engagement, the app had a mean score of 4.3/5 (SD 0.44), 4.6/5 (SD 0.38) on functionality, 4.3/5 (SD 0.57) on aesthetics and 4.4/5 (SD 0.60) on the quality of information. The overall app quality mean score was 4.4/5 (SD 0.31). The app was described as 'very interesting' to use by 44/62 (70.9%) of the participants, 20/44 males and 24/44 females. The content was deemed to be either 'perfectly' or 'well targeted' on sexual reproductive health by 60/62 (96.7%) adolescents, and the app was rated 'best app' by 45/62 (72.6%) adolescents, 27/45 females and 18/45 males, with a p-value = 0.011.
conclusionsAdolescents need on-demand, accurate and trusted SRH information. A mobile phone app is a feasible and acceptable way to deliver adolescent SRH information in resource-limited settings. The USSD mobile phone technology shows promise in the delivery of much needed adolescent SRH information on-demand..
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