Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40917702›Full record

ArticleOxford open digital health2025

Access to mobile phone, socio-economic equity and maternal and child healthcare utilization in Rwanda: analysis of demographic and health surveys.

Amare Tariku, Betelhem Abebe Andargie, Tesfahun Melese Yilma, Abdulaziz Mohammed, Adams Abera, Diwakar Mohan, Shivani Pandya, Lena Kan, Hinda Ruton, Meredith Kimball and 3 more

Erratum issuedAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Oxford open digital health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Amare TarikuCenter for Digital Health and Implementation Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Betelhem Abebe AndargieCenter for Digital Health and Implementation Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Tesfahun Melese YilmaCenter for Digital Health and Implementation Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Abdulaziz MohammedCenter for Digital Health and Implementation Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Adams AberaCenter for Digital Health and Implementation Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Diwakar MohanJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Shivani PandyaJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Lena KanJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Hinda RutonAfrica quantitative sciences, Rwanda.
Meredith KimballExemplars in Global Health, Gates Ventures, Seattle, WA, United States.
Patricia MechaelJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1034-0549
Smisha AgarwalJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Binyam TilahunCenter for Digital Health and Implementation Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Rwanda is harnessing digital health as a key strategy to improve optimal access to quality maternal and child health services, aiming to reduce maternal and child mortality and attain sustainable development goals. Evidence is essential to guide Rwanda's effort to integrate digital health technologies with maternal and child health service delivery. This study analyzed data from 2010, 2014/15 and 2019/20 Rwanda demographic and health surveys to explore trends and socio-economic equity in mobile phone ownership and its influence on reproductive and maternal health service utilization. Results showed a marked increase in household mobile phone ownership from 40% in 2010 to 71% in 2019/20. Significant pro-rich inequities in household mobile phone ownership were observed in 2010 (concentration index = 0.46), 2014/15 (concentration index = 0.28) and 2019/20 (concentration index = 0.22). Mobile phone was also higher among the educated in 2010 (slope index = 0.63), 2014/15 (slope index = 0.59), and 2019/20 (slope index = 0.50). Mobile phones were inequitably distributed favoring better-off (concentration index = 0.29) and educated women (slope index = 0.47), respectively. Women with mobile phone had significantly higher odds of attending four or more antenatal care visits [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.42, confidence interval (CI): 95% 1.16, 1.72] and ensuring full immunization in children aged 12-23 months [AOR = 1.61, CI: 95% 1.02, 2.55]. Differences in mobile phone ownership accounted 58% of the observed disparity in antenatal care utilization. These findings underscore that while there has been a substantial increase in mobile phone ownership, it remains unevenly distributed in Rwanda. Addressing these is critical to increasing coverage and equitable access to reproductive and maternal health services in Rwanda.

Indexed as

access to mobile phonedemographic and health surveydigital healthmaternal and child healthRwandasocio-economic equity

Identifiers

PMID40917702
PMCPMC12413759

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.