Submission ID 117056
| Issue/Objective | In Lebanon, pregnant refugees and vulnerable women experience poor maternal health outcomes due to limited access to antenatal care (ANC) and insufficient maternal health knowledge. In response, the Global Health Institute (GHI) at the American University of Beirut (AUB), with the support of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), launched the 'Gamification, Artificial Intelligence, and mHealth Network for Maternal Health Improvement' (GAIN MHI) project. The project aimed to improve the maternal health of underserved Lebanese and refugee women and enhance their uptake of ANC services at the level of primary healthcare centers (PHCs) in Lebanon. |
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| Methodology/Approach | GAIN MHI is a 3-year community-based intervention targeting pregnant women in their first trimester, their spouses, and healthcare providers (HCPs) across 19 PHCs. The intervention used a mobile health (mHealth) approach, including weekly gestational-age-specific educational text and voice messages in Arabic for women and spouses, as well as a professional development mobile app for HCPs featuring gamification and artificial intelligence (AI). The study employed a controlled trial design with 3,989 participants, dividing them into intervention (n=1,996) and control (n=1,993) groups. Key measures included ANC access, maternal and neonatal health outcomes, and healthcare provider engagement. |
| Results | The intervention group showed significant improvements in healthcare access and maternal health outcomes. These included increased ANC visits (OR 1.569, p<0.05), lab tests (OR=1.821, p<0.05), ultrasound imaging (OR=7.984, p<0.05), and urine analysis tests (OR=4.399, p<0.05). Supplement intake also increased (OR=3.508, p<0.05). Additionally, the intervention group experienced better maternal and neonatal outcomes, such as more term deliveries (OR=1.295, p=0.002) and reduced neonatal morbidity (OR=1.580, p=0.002). |
| Discussion/Conclusion | The GAIN MHI intervention effectively improved ANC access and maternal and neonatal health outcomes among vulnerable populations in Lebanon. This study shows the promising potential of contextualized digital and AI-based interventions in improving health outcomes particularly in low-resource settings. |
| Presenters and affiliations | Nour El Arnaout Global Health Institute, American University of Beirut Shadi Saleh Global Health Institute, American University of Beirut Mohamad Alameddine College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah Nadine Sabra Global Health Institute, American University of Beirut |
