Abstract
BackgroundThe application of mobile health (mHealth) technology in reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) is increasing worldwide. However, best practice and the most effective mHealth interventions have not been reviewed systematically.ObjectiveA systematic review and meta-analysis of studies of mHealth interventions for RMNCH around the world were conducted to investigate their characteristics as well as the features and effectiveness of mHealth interventions.MethodsStudies of mHealth interventions for RMNCH between January 2011 and December 2016 were retrieved from 6 databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Global Health, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals, and Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Medium). Comparable studies were included in a random-effects meta-analysis for both exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) and antenatal checks (ANC). Descriptive analyses were conducted for mHealth studies with a range of study designs.ResultsAnalyses of 245 studies were included, including 51 randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Results showed that there are increasing numbers of studies on mHealth interventions for RMNCH. Although 2 meta-analysis, one with 2 RCTs on EBF (odds ratio [OR] 2.03, 95% CI 1.34-3.08, I2=25%) and the other with 3 RCTs on ANC (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.13-1.79, I2=78%), showed that mHealth interventions are more effective than usual care, almost half (43%) of RCTs showed negative or unclear results on mHealth interventions. Functions described in mHealth interventions were diverse, and the health stages covered were broad. However, single function or single stage appeared to be dominant among mHealth interventions compared with multiple functions or stages.ConclusionsMore rigorous evaluations are needed to draw consistent conclusions and to analyze mHealth products with multiple functions, especially those popular in the app markets.
Highlights
Reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) has improved dramatically in the past two decades, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) report in 2015 [1]
The rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in health care worldwide has led to the development of mobile health and enabled substantial change in the provision of health services [6,7]. mHealth technology is well suited to designing a patient-centered health service that increases the role of patients in medical treatment and encourages a degree of self-management, which is important for a long-term chronic condition
For the 51 identified randomized controlled trial RMNCH (RCT), we presented their results in Table 3 with respect to whether the results showed that mHealth interventions were significantly effective
Summary
Reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) has improved dramatically in the past two decades, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) report in 2015 [1]. The needs of RMNCH, such as control of infectious disease and ensuring a safe pregnancy, continue to be relevant. Issues such as limited resources and engagement of patients in their health management remain challenges for the improvement of RMNCH health services worldwide [2-5]. The application of mobile health (mHealth) technology in reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) is increasing worldwide. Objective: A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies of mHealth interventions for RMNCH around the world were conducted to investigate their characteristics as well as the features and effectiveness of mHealth interventions. Conclusions: More rigorous evaluations are needed to draw consistent conclusions and to analyze mHealth products with multiple functions, especially those popular in the app markets
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