Voice-Based vs. Text-Based WhatsApp Messaging for Maternal Health Knowledge and Attitudes Among Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women in Abuja, Nigeria
Voice-Based vs. Text-Based WhatsApp Messaging for Maternal Health Knowledge and Attitudes Among Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women in Abuja, Nigeria: A Three-Arm Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
This pilot randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate whether sending maternal health information via voice-based WhatsApp messages is more effective than text-based WhatsApp messages. The study enrolled 79 pregnant and breastfeeding women in Abuja, Nigeria, who were assigned to receive weekly voice messages, text messages, or standard care over an eight-week period. The primary goal is to determine if voice messaging produces greater improvements in maternal health knowledge and attitudes, which could offer a scalable, low-literacy-friendly tool to improve maternal health outcomes in Nigeria.
Studieoversikt
Status
Status
Forhold
Forhold
Intervensjon / Behandling
Intervensjon / Behandling
Detaljert beskrivelse
Maternal mortality remains unacceptably high in sub-Saharan Africa, and gaps in maternal health knowledge contribute to delayed care-seeking behavior. While mobile health (mHealth) interventions offer scalable solutions, evidence directly comparing voice-based and text-based delivery formats in African settings is lacking.
This three-arm pilot randomized controlled trial was designed to address this gap by evaluating the preliminary effectiveness of voice-based versus text-based WhatsApp messaging on maternal health knowledge and attitudes. The theoretical rationale for the intervention is grounded in media richness and social presence frameworks, which suggest that voice communication conveys paralinguistic cues and creates greater social presence than text alone, potentially reducing cognitive load for women with limited literacy.
Participants were randomized into three arms: voice-based WhatsApp messaging, text-based WhatsApp messaging, or a standard care control group. The intervention consisted of weekly maternal health messages delivered over an eight-week period. The educational content, adapted from WHO and UNICEF maternal health materials, covered topics including nutrition, danger signs, breastfeeding, and postnatal care. Messages were delivered by a trained research assistant via a WhatsApp broadcast list, with the voice arm receiving audio recordings and the text arm receiving written messages of equivalent content.
The primary objective is to determine if voice-based messaging results in greater improvements in maternal health knowledge and attitudes compared to text-based messaging and standard care. Secondary exploratory objectives include assessing changes in a binary knowledge battery. The results of this pilot trial are intended to establish preliminary effect sizes and inform the design of a definitive, multi-site randomized controlled trial to evaluate voice messaging at scale.
Studietype
Studietype
Registrering (Faktiske)
Registrering
Fase
Fase
- Ikke aktuelt
Kontakter og plasseringer
Studiesteder
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Federal Capital Territory
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Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria, 11101
- Kuchingoro Primary Health Care Centre
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Deltakelseskriterier
Kvalifikasjonskriterier
Kvalifikasjonskriterier
Alder som er kvalifisert for studier
Tar imot friske frivillige
Kjønn som er kvalifisert for studier
Beskrivelse
Inclusion Criteria:
Pregnant or breastfeeding women attending Kuchingoro Primary Health Care Centre.
Own a mobile phone with WhatsApp capability.
Willing to receive health messages over an eight-week period.
Able to provide informed consent.
Exclusion Criteria:
Inability to provide informed consent.
Any medical condition precluding participation.
Studieplan
Hvordan er studiet utformet?
Designdetaljer
- Primært formål: Helsetjenesteforskning
- Tildeling: Randomisert
- Intervensjonsmodell: Parallell tildeling
- Masking: Trippel
Antall våpen
Våpen og intervensjoner
Deltakergruppe / ArmDeltakergruppe / Arm |
Intervensjon / BehandlingIntervensjon / Behandling |
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Eksperimentell: Voice-Based Messaging
Participants received weekly maternal health audio messages via WhatsApp for eight weeks. |
Participants received weekly maternal health written messages of equivalent content delivered over eight weeks via a WhatsApp broadcast list. Message content was adapted from WHO and UNICEF materials and covered nutrition, danger signs, breastfeeding, and postnatal care. |
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Aktiv komparator: Text-Based Messaging
Participants received weekly maternal health text messages via WhatsApp for eight weeks. |
Participants received weekly maternal health written messages of equivalent content delivered over eight weeks via a WhatsApp broadcast list. Message content was adapted from WHO and UNICEF materials and covered nutrition, danger signs, breastfeeding, and postnatal care. |
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Ingen inngripen: Standard Care
Participants received standard routine care at the health facility without the WhatsApp messaging intervention |
Hva måler studien?
Primære resultatmål
Primære resultatmål
Resultatmål |
Tiltaksbeskrivelse |
Tidsramme |
|---|---|---|
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Maternal Health Knowledge Score (Scale b2)
Tidsramme: Baseline (T0) and 8-week follow-up (T2)
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Assessed using a Likert-type scale (Scale b2) to measure maternal health knowledge. Internal consistency was acceptable (α = .78 at baseline, .81 at follow-up). |
Baseline (T0) and 8-week follow-up (T2)
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Samarbeidspartnere og etterforskere
Sponsor
Sponsor
Publikasjoner og nyttige lenker
Studierekorddatoer
Studer hoveddatoer
Studiestart (Faktiske)
Studiestart
Primær fullføring (Faktiske)
Primær fullføring
Studiet fullført (Faktiske)
Studiet fullført
Datoer for studieregistrering
Først innsendt
Først innsendt
Først innsendt som oppfylte QC-kriteriene
Først innsendt som oppfylte QC-kriteriene
Først lagt ut (Faktiske)
Først lagt ut
Oppdateringer av studieposter
Sist oppdatering lagt ut (Faktiske)
Sist oppdatering lagt ut
Siste oppdatering sendt inn som oppfylte QC-kriteriene
Siste oppdatering sendt inn som oppfylte QC-kriteriene
Sist bekreftet
Sist bekreftet
Mer informasjon
Begreper knyttet til denne studien
Andre studie-ID-numre
Andre studie-ID-numre
- MIVA/REC/2026/0042
- MIVA/REC/2026/0042 (Registeridentifikator: MIVA Open University Research Ethics Committee)
- MIVA/REC/2026/0042 (Annen identifikator: MIVA Open University)
Plan for individuelle deltakerdata (IPD)
Planlegger du å dele individuelle deltakerdata (IPD)?
IPD-planbeskrivelse
The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
IPD-deling Støtteinformasjonstype
- SEVJE
- ANALYTIC_CODE
Legemiddel- og utstyrsinformasjon, studiedokumenter
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