JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Mobile health (mHealth) interventions are key in encouraging care-seeking and care-giving to maternal clients. Many maternal clients from poor-resourced communities die every day from preventable complications due to pregnancy and childbirth at home. To achieve behaviour change for health care-seeking by maternal clients, maternal health information and reminders are sent to maternal clients through Short Message Service (SMS) and voice messages. mHealth is a tool used nowadays to promote health-seeking behavior for maternal health.

Objective:

In this study, we seek to understand how maternal clients appropriate mHealth interventions for maternal health and the factors that affect the appropriation process.

Methods:

The study used the Model of Technology Appropriation as a lens to understand how maternal clients appropriate mHealth interventions. We employed a hermeneutic literature review to explore the concept of appropriation as captured in the three interventions. Seventeen papers were selected for the analysis process and thematic analysis was employed as the analysis method.

Results:

The study noted that a myriad of factors play a role in the way clients appropriate technological interventions at different stages of the appropriation process. Furthermore, the socio-economic status of the intended clients may affect their appropriation. We then examined technological performance of the mHealth interventions system, the influence of mHealth on maternal behavior change, inclusion into the mHealth intervention and the role of community of purpose in the appropriation of maternal mHealth interventions.

Conclusions:

The results of this study contribute to the body of knowledge of maternal mHealth and practice of mHealth implementers on which approaches and practices can be implemented at scale. Furthermore, the results may inform mHealth implementers on approaches desirable by different types of clients (mobile phone owners and non-mobile phone owners).