Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39458424›Full record

Trial reportNutrients2024

Feasibility of Employing mHealth in Delivering Preventive Nutrition Interventions Targeting the First 1000 Days of Life: Experiences from a Community-Based Cluster Randomised Trial in Rural Bangladesh.

Tarana E Ferdous, Md Jahiduj Jaman, Abu Bakkar Siddique, Nadia Sultana, Takrib Hossain, Shams El Arifeen, Sk Masum Billah

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Nutrients, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Tarana E FerdousMaternal and Child Health Division, icddr,b, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh.ORCID 0009-0006-4781-8477
Md Jahiduj JamanMaternal and Child Health Division, icddr,b, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh.
Abu Bakkar SiddiqueMaternal and Child Health Division, icddr,b, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh.ORCID 0000-0002-1484-0823
Nadia SultanaMaternal and Child Health Division, icddr,b, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh.
Takrib HossainMaternal and Child Health Division, icddr,b, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh.ORCID 0009-0004-5634-2664
Shams El ArifeenMaternal and Child Health Division, icddr,b, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh.
Sk Masum BillahMaternal and Child Health Division, icddr,b, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh.ORCID 0000-0002-8690-6932

Funding

FCDO and Sida FCDO: PO5243, Aries Code 201448, and Sida: 54100089
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesAn Android platform-based customised app and web-linked system was developed to aid in implementing selected nutrition interventions by community health workers (CHWs) in a community-based cluster randomised trial (c-RCT) in rural Bangladesh.

methodsHere, we describe the architecture of the intervention delivery system, and explore feasibility of employing mHealth as CHWs' job aid, employing a mixed-method study design covering 17 visits per mother-child dyad. We analysed CHWs' real-time visit information from monitoring and documentation data, and CHWs' qualitative interviews to explore the advantages and barriers of using mHealth as a job aid.

resultsIntervention coverage was high across the arms (>90%), except around the narrow perinatal period (51%) due to mothers' cultural practice of moving to their parents' homes and/or hospitals for childbirth. CHWs mentioned technical and functional advantages of the job aid including device portability, easy navigability of content, pictorial demonstration that improved communication, easy information entry, and automated daily scheduling of tasks. Technical challenges included charging tablets, especially in power cut-prone areas, deteriorated battery capacity over continuous device usage, unstable internet network in unsupportive weather conditions, and device safety. Nevertheless, onsite supervision and monitoring by expert supervisors remained important to ensure intervention quality.

conclusionsWith appropriate training and supervision, CHWs utilised the tablet-based app proficiently, attaining high coverage of long-term visits. mHealth was thus useful for designing, planning, scheduling, and delivering nutrition interventions through CHWs, and for monitoring and supervision by supervisors. Therefore, this application and job aid can be adopted or replicated into the currently developing national health systems platform for improving coverage and quality of preventive maternal and child nutrition services. In addition, continuous supportive supervision by skilled supervisors must be accompanied to ensure CHWs' task quality. Finally, future studies should rigorously assess undesirable health and environmental effects of mHealth before and after mainstreaming, effective interventions addressing device-induced health hazards should be designed and scaled up, and effective e-waste management must be ensured.

Indexed as

Community Health WorkersFeasibility StudiesRural PopulationTelemedicineAdultBangladeshFemaleHumansInfantInfant, NewbornInfant Nutritional Physiological PhenomenaMalecommunity health workermHealthnutrition interventionrural Bangladesh

Identifiers

PMID39458424
PMCPMC11510744

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.