Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41228550›Full record

Trial reportNutrients2025

The Effect of mHealth on Exclusive Breastfeeding and Its Associated Factors Among Women in South Ethiopia: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

Girma Gilano, Andre Dekker, Rianne Fijten

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Nutrients, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–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

4 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Article
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

3 authors.

Girma GilanoDepartment of Public Health Informatics, School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch P.O. Box 21, Ethiopia.ORCID 0000-0002-5847-1425
Andre DekkerDepartment of Radiation Oncology (Maastro), GROW Institute for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-0422-7996
Rianne FijtenDepartment of Radiation Oncology (Maastro), GROW Institute for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands.

Funding

Arba Minch University Research Directorate Office GOV/AMU/PhDMast/TH3/CMHS/HI/RCO/01/15
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionExclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is vital for optimal infant health, reducing the risk of infections and enhancing cognitive development. Despite WHO's recommendation of EBF for the first six months of life, global adherence remains suboptimal, particularly in low-resource settings. This study evaluates the impact of mobile health (mHealth) interventions on exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) among mothers in South Ethiopia.

methodsA cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in the Gamo Gofa zones, South Ethiopia, involving 20 health facilities (10 intervention and 10 control). The study included 680 pregnant mothers recruited using simple random sampling from antenatal care (ANC) registers and family folders. Mothers in the intervention group received mHealth support, including breastfeeding information and reminders, while the control group received standard care. Participants were followed from the second trimester to six months postpartum. Multilevel survival analysis was applied to assess EBF duration, and multilevel logistic regression was used to evaluate complementary feeding within the first month.

resultsThe intervention group had a significantly higher probability of maintaining EBF at six months than the control group (AHR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.26-0.62, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The mHealth intervention significantly improved EBF adherence and early breastfeeding initiation among mothers in South Ethiopia. Early breastfeeding, ANC frequency, and family size were protective factors, while high partner education and diarrhea disease increased the risk of early cessation of EBF. These findings highlight the potential of mHealth in addressing key barriers to EBF. Scaling up similar interventions, focusing on high-risk groups, could enhance adherence to WHO's breastfeeding recommendations and improve maternal and child health outcomes in resource-limited settings.

Indexed as

Breast FeedingMothersTelemedicineAdultCluster AnalysisEthiopiaFemaleHumansInfantInfant, NewbornPregnancyPrenatal CareYoung Adultchild feedingEBFmHealthSMS

Identifiers

PMID41228550
PMCPMC12608450

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.