ReviewHealth science reports2026
An Empty Scoping Review on the Roles of mHealth Interventions on Menstrual Hygiene in Africa: Implications for Sexual and Reproductive Health Research, Policy, and Practice.
Review in Health science reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background and Aims: Menstrual hygiene remains a critical public health issue in Africa, where many women and girls face inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities, limited access to menstrual products, and persistent social stigma. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions have been effective at addressing systemic issues in other health domains, yet their role in improving menstrual hygiene in African contexts remains unclear. This scoping review aimed to identify and map empirical evidence on mHealth interventions for menstrual hygiene in Africa, assess reported impacts, and highlight research and policy gaps. Methods: This scoping review followed the Arksey and O'Malley framework and adhered to the PRISMA-ScR reporting guidelines. A comprehensive search of nine databases was conducted to retrieve all relevant studies published from inception to April 7, 2025. Eligible studies were to be empirical, peer-reviewed studies conducted in Africa, and published in English. Screening and selection were undertaken independently by two reviewers, with conflicts resolved by consensus. Data extraction, collation, and summarization could not be done as no study was found eligible for inclusion into this review. Results: A total of 687 records were retrieved; however, none of them met the inclusion criteria, primarily due to non-relevance of the population, context, or outcomes of interest. Hence, this scoping review is empty. Conclusions: The absence of published empirical research on mHealth interventions for menstrual hygiene in Africa highlights a critical knowledge gap. Considering the significant menstrual health challenges across the continent and the proven potential of mHealth in other public health areas, this represents a missed opportunity for policy intervention and public health innovation. There is an urgent need for context-specific research, community engagement, and multisectoral collaboration to design, implement, and evaluate mHealth strategies that address menstrual hygiene needs in Africa, informing both local and global sexual and reproductive health policies.
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Registered trials
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.