Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40982793›Full record

ArticleJMIR pediatrics and parenting2025

Exploring the Association Between Behavioral Determinants and Intention to Use a Chatbot-Led Parenting Intervention by Caregivers of Adolescent Girls in South Africa: Cross-Sectional Study.

Maria Da Graca Ambrosio, Seema Vyas, Juliet Stromin, Shallen Lusinga, Paula Zinzer, Kanyisile Brukwe, Zamakhanya Makhanya, Hlengiwe Gwebu, Anne Schley, Laurie Markle and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR pediatrics and parenting, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. 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

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Maria Da Graca AmbrosioDepartment of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford, 32 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2ER, United Kingdom, +44 01865270325.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6793-062X
Seema VyasDepartment of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford, 32 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2ER, United Kingdom, +44 01865270325.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3066-664X
Juliet StrominCentre for Social Science Research, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8640-488X
Shallen LusingaCentre for Social Science Research, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6143-7201
Paula ZinzerDepartment of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford, 32 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2ER, United Kingdom, +44 01865270325.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5362-9900
Kanyisile BrukweClowns Without Borders, Cape Town, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4699-523X
Zamakhanya MakhanyaDepartment of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford, 32 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2ER, United Kingdom, +44 01865270325.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-1898-9062
Hlengiwe GwebuDepartment of Nursing and Public Health, University of Fort Hare, East London, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6066-4074
Anne Schleymothers2mothers, Mbombela, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-2485-4107
Laurie MarkleGlobal Parenting Initiative, Oxford, United Kingdom.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0008-4197-5652
David SternIDEMS International Community Interest Company, Reading, United Kingdom.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3806-9313
Chiara FacciolàIDEMS International Community Interest Company, Reading, United Kingdom.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8359-9300
G J Melendez-TorresFaculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9823-4790
Frances GardnerDepartment of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford, 32 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2ER, United Kingdom, +44 01865270325.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7508-7348
Jamie M LachmanDepartment of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford, 32 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2ER, United Kingdom, +44 01865270325.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9475-9218

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: While digital innovation, including chatbots, offers a potentially cost-effective means to scale public health programs in low-income settings, user engagement rates remain low. Barriers to participant engagement (eg, perceived difficulty of use, busyness, low levels of digital literacy) may exacerbate inequality when adopting digital-only interventions as alternatives to in-person programs. Objective: This cross-sectional study nested within a 2×2 clustered factorial trial that followed the Multiphase Optimization Strategy principles investigated the relationship between behavioral determinants (ie, human and socioeconomic characteristics that facilitate the use of digital health interventions [DHIs]) and caregiver intention to use a digital public health intervention, ParentText, an open-source, rule-based parenting chatbot designed to promote positive parenting, improve adolescent health, and reduce risky behaviors. Methods: Caregivers of adolescent girls (10-17 years; N=1034 caregivers) were recruited by implementation partners from a community-wide project aimed at HIV prevention in two districts of Mpumalanga, South Africa. A Digital Health Engagement Model was adapted from the technology acceptance model, the PEN-3 model theoretical frameworks, and the Theory of Planned Behavior to investigate the relationship between behavioral determinants and the intentions of caregivers to engage in ParentText. Community facilitators administered baseline surveys to caregivers during intervention onboarding. Regression models tested associations between behavioral determinants (ie, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitude, hedonic motivation, habit, price value, and social influence) and intentions of caregivers to use the parenting chatbot. Interaction effects were explored to examine whether individual-level sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics moderate associations between overall behavioral determinants and intentions to use the chatbot. Results: Caregivers reported a mean of 2.85 (SD 0.79) and 2.90 (SD 0.72) out of a maximum score of 4 regarding their intention to use their mobile data and to continue using ParentText in the future, respectively. Overall behavioral determinants predicted by 76% (odds ratio 1.76, 95% CI 1.72-1.81) the intentions of caregivers to spend mobile data and by 85% (odds ratio 1.85, 95% CI 1.81-1.90) their intentions to use ParentText in the future. Moderator analysis suggested the interaction effects of age, paternal absence, financial efficacy, and stress on the relationship between overall behavioral determinants and intention outcomes. Conclusions: This is the first known study to investigate the associations between overall behavioral determinants and participant intentions to use a parenting chatbot in a low-income setting. This study identifies behavioral determinants of engagement for improved delivery of DHIs, considering the need to provide low-cost, scalable parenting support through digital platforms that engage parents, especially those in low-income contexts. Future research should explore methods to investigate mechanisms that regulate behavior to enhance the development of DHIs.

Indexed as

adolescent healthbehavioral determinantschatbot-led parenting intervention.digital healthengagement

Identifiers

PMID40982793
PMCPMC12453451

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.