Adapting educational messages for partners of pregnant women for use in mobile health technologies (Mhealth)

Abstract

In this paper, we present aspects related to the development and evaluation of a Short Message Service (SMS) – PRENACEL (Prenatal in the Mobile) aimed at partners of pregnant women. This is a qualitative study with participatory methods developed in three stages. First, the messages of the MAMA (Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action) global program were translated. Then a group of experts evaluated those messages, assigning marks and suggesting changes to or exclusions of certain ones. The resulting messages that were consolidated from this stage were submitted to a focus group, formed by male Community Health Workers, who analyzed the language and the clearness of the messages. Each stage was evaluated by the leading researchers and the final content amounted to 62 text messages that were found to be appropriate for the partners of pregnant women. With the inclusion of participatory methods of evaluation it was possible to establish viable and accessible messages to the target public.