Submission ID 116783
| Issue/Objective | Mobile health via text messaging is an ever-growing approach that may address the postnatal support gap and provide timely education in low- and middle-income countries, harnessing innovation and technology for global health. To address this, we developed a 6-week text message digital health solution called Essential Coaching for Every Mother Tanzania (ECEM-TZ) to improve maternal access to essential newborn care education during the immediate 6-week postnatal period. The objective of this study was to explore the effectiveness of ECEM-TZ on maternal knowledge, parenting self-efficacy, postpartum depression symptoms, and postpartum anxiety symptoms for mother in Tanzania. |
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| Methodology/Approach | Mothers were recruited from 2 hospitals in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania between June and July 2024 and were randomized into ECEM-TZ or standard care. ECEM-TZ is a 6-week postpartum text message program that sends daily messages in Kiswahili containing information related to maternal and newborn care. The program was co-designed with mothers and nurse midwives. Participants completed surveys at enrollment (after birth) and at 6 weeks postpartum (post-intervention). Differences between groups were analyzed using analysis of covariance, considering parity and group allocation. |
| Results | Of the 147 participants recruited (44.1% primiparous), 143 completed both surveys (ECEM-TZ n = 71, control n = 72). At six-weeks postpartum, mothers who received ECEM-TZ had higher knowledge scores compared to mothers in the control group (M=3.34, SD=0.92 vs. M=2.39, SD=1.05, p=<0.001). Mothers who received ECEM-TZ also had lower depression symptoms at 6-weeks compared to mothers in the control group (M=3.63, SD=2.85 vs. M=5.17, SD=2.64, p=0.001). There was no significant difference in parenting self-efficacy or postpartum anxiety symptoms at 6-weeks. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | ECEM-TZ improved infant care knowledge and reduced postpartum depression symptoms in mothers who received text messages. This suggests that text messaging as a low cost, accessible digital health solutions may be a viable option to support parents in low- and middle-income countries during the immediate 6-week postpartum period by harnessing innovation and technology for global health. |
| Presenters and affiliations | Justine Dol IWK Health Lilian Mselle School of Nursing, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences Marsha Campbell-Yeo School of Nursing, Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University Columba Mbekenga Department of Reproductive and Child Health, School of Nursing, Kairuki University Douglas McMillan Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University Cindy-Lee Dennis Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto Gail Tomblin Murphy Nova Scotia Health Megan Aston School of Nursing, Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University |
