Mobile-based Text Messages for Improved Pediatric Health in Rural Areas of Pakistan: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Persuasive Technology (PT) as a field of research provides tremendous opportunities for helping people improve their health and wellbeing. This paper highlights opportunities for empowering rural female population through a simple text-based persuasive intervention. The study was performed in June 2019 in a remotely located population in North-Eastern Pakistan. The target population were young mothers who were frequent users of mobile phones and able to read text messages. The study investigated whether simple Mobile-based Text Messages based on Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) could bring a positive behavior change in mothers such as breastfeeding, avoiding self-medication when a child is sick and having the child immunized regularly. For data collection, we opted to conduct Focus Group Discussions in order to gain richer insights. The findings revealed that a high majority of the participants found the text messages to be useful. More interestingly, just over the span of one month, these participants reported to have a natural change in their behaviors.