Women's participation in mobile phone surveys in Mozambique: Findings from a qualitative study

Abstract

Objectives: The use of mobile phone surveys in low- and middle-income countries is increasing as a low-cost and rapid alternative to in-person interviews. However, ensuring they are representative of women and, when women are included reducing potential response bias and harm are important considerations. To improve women's participation in phone surveys, we conducted a qualitative study in Mozambique to better understand women's experiences of participating in mobile phone surveys. Methods: This study was part of the Rapid Mortality Mobile Phone Survey (RaMMPS) project implemented in Mozambique to test the use of mobile phone interviews for childhood mortality measurement at the national level. We conducted a qualitative study with 32 women who had previously participated in the RAMMPS mobile phone survey. Interviews were conducted both in-person and over the phone. Thematic analysis was done manually using the Framework approach. Results: Gender-related considerations that emerged from the data regarding women's participation included women's access to mobile phones, the reduced time burden and convenience of participating in mobile phone interviews compared to in-person interviews, difficulties ensuring privacy in mobile phone surveys, the effect of the interviewer's gender on participant responses, and women's safety concerns. Conclusion: Important considerations for including women in mobile phone surveys relate to efforts to reduce response bias and mitigate harm, such as ensuring privacy and considering the gender of the data collector. Addressing these issues is crucial to improving women's participation and experience in mobile phone surveys.