search
Back to results

Testing Content Delivery Models for MomConnect (MQR)

Primary Purpose

Immunization Coverage, Breastfeeding, Hematological Diseases

Status
Recruiting
Phase
Not Applicable
Locations
South Africa
Study Type
Interventional
Intervention
Quality-Based Digital Messaging
Sponsored by
IDinsight
About
Eligibility
Locations
Arms
Outcomes
Full info

About this trial

This is an interventional health services research trial for Immunization Coverage

Eligibility Criteria

undefined - undefined (Child, Adult, Older Adult)FemaleDoes not accept healthy volunteers

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnant women signing up for MomConnect when being between 16-30 weeks pregnant

Exclusion Criteria:

  • All others

Sites / Locations

  • PraekeltRecruiting

Arms of the Study

Arm 1

Arm 2

Arm 3

Arm 4

Arm 5

Arm Type

Experimental

Experimental

Experimental

Experimental

Experimental

Arm Label

Appointment Reminder Model

Relevant Content Model (WhatsApp)

Relevant Content Model (SMS)

Browsable Content Model

Relevant Content + Browsable Content Model

Arm Description

This is the current MomConnect WhatsApp model (control). Mothers receive weekly conversation starter messages reminding them about their upcoming clinic appointments, providing more comprehensive and relevant maternal health information only after mothers respond to the appointment reminder.

Mothers receive weekly conversation starter messages on WhatsApp, which carry both clinic appointment reminders along with some maternal and infant health information relevant to their pregnancy/postpartum stage. In addition, a list of "frequently asked questions" (FAQs) relevant to the week of pregnancy the mother is in are provided so that mothers can engage further with maternal health information topics relevant to them.

Mothers receive twice weekly conversation starter messages of 160 characters each per SMS, which carry both clinic appointment reminders as well as maternal and infant health information, relevant to their stage of pregnancy or the age of their baby. Mothers can access the list of frequently asked questions relevant to their week of pregnancy via USSD.

Mothers receive weekly conversation starter messages, which carry clinic appointment reminders and maternal health information, as well as the option to browse a menu of relevant maternal and infant health information that mothers can explore themselves over WhatsApp.

This is a combination of the Relevant Content and Browsable Content Models on WhatsApp (RCM+BCM), including appointment reminders, clinical information, a browsable menu and prompts to relevant stage-based topics. Mothers receive weekly conversation starter messages.

Outcomes

Primary Outcome Measures

Knowledge/Attitude Index
Includes knowledge of/attitudes towards diet, breastfeeding, and anemia
Behaviour Index
Includes behaviour related to ante-natal care visits, diet, pregnancy preparedness, breastfeeding, anemia, and child vaccinations

Secondary Outcome Measures

Full Information

First Posted
August 16, 2022
Last Updated
August 16, 2022
Sponsor
IDinsight
Collaborators
Praekelt
search

1. Study Identification

Unique Protocol Identification Number
NCT05505760
Brief Title
Testing Content Delivery Models for MomConnect
Acronym
MQR
Official Title
Testing the Effectiveness of Quality-Based WhatsApp Messaging on Vaccine Hesitancy and Childhood Immunization in a National Maternal Messaging Program
Study Type
Interventional

2. Study Status

Record Verification Date
August 2022
Overall Recruitment Status
Recruiting
Study Start Date
May 9, 2022 (Actual)
Primary Completion Date
December 23, 2022 (Anticipated)
Study Completion Date
December 23, 2022 (Anticipated)

3. Sponsor/Collaborators

Responsible Party, by Official Title
Principal Investigator
Name of the Sponsor
IDinsight
Collaborators
Praekelt

4. Oversight

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product
No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product
No
Data Monitoring Committee
No

5. Study Description

Brief Summary
The case for mobile health (mHealth) has been gaining traction as a source to improve health outcomes of individuals. mHealth refers to the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to support health care. The ubiquity and penetration of mobile phones presents the opportunity to deliver health care services directly to citizens, with the greatest potential gains in under-resourced health ecosystems. Operating for 7 years and currently supporting 1.28 million mothers through their pregnancies and early childhood care, MomConnect represents one of the largest maternal health messaging platforms in the world. Implemented at the national level, MomConnect has been credited with being the first national-scale mHealth program of its kind and has won numerous international awards. As a WhatsApp-delivered service, MomConnect has been limited by WhatsApp's historical terms of service. In its current form, MomConnect can only start a conversation with mothers once a week by alerting them of their upcoming antenatal care (ANC) appointment. Recent changes to WhatsApp's terms of service have removed the restriction around push messages for certain programs, including MomConnect. Messages have historically been restricted to weekly conversation starters and carry only generic administrative reminder-style information. As a result, it is possible that many mothers are failing to engage with the content as much as they could. If mothers were more engaged, it could greatly increase exposure and knowledge of reducing the total number of mothers exposed to critical maternal and infant health content. With the updated terms of service, there is an opportunity to test different ways of engaging mothers. This study proposes to evaluate, through a randomized controlled trial (RCT), the relative effect of four new behaviorally-informed program models on key knowledge of and adoption of healthy behaviors.

6. Conditions and Keywords

Primary Disease or Condition Being Studied in the Trial, or the Focus of the Study
Immunization Coverage, Breastfeeding, Hematological Diseases

7. Study Design

Primary Purpose
Health Services Research
Study Phase
Not Applicable
Interventional Study Model
Parallel Assignment
Masking
Participant
Allocation
Randomized
Enrollment
6000 (Anticipated)

8. Arms, Groups, and Interventions

Arm Title
Appointment Reminder Model
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
This is the current MomConnect WhatsApp model (control). Mothers receive weekly conversation starter messages reminding them about their upcoming clinic appointments, providing more comprehensive and relevant maternal health information only after mothers respond to the appointment reminder.
Arm Title
Relevant Content Model (WhatsApp)
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
Mothers receive weekly conversation starter messages on WhatsApp, which carry both clinic appointment reminders along with some maternal and infant health information relevant to their pregnancy/postpartum stage. In addition, a list of "frequently asked questions" (FAQs) relevant to the week of pregnancy the mother is in are provided so that mothers can engage further with maternal health information topics relevant to them.
Arm Title
Relevant Content Model (SMS)
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
Mothers receive twice weekly conversation starter messages of 160 characters each per SMS, which carry both clinic appointment reminders as well as maternal and infant health information, relevant to their stage of pregnancy or the age of their baby. Mothers can access the list of frequently asked questions relevant to their week of pregnancy via USSD.
Arm Title
Browsable Content Model
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
Mothers receive weekly conversation starter messages, which carry clinic appointment reminders and maternal health information, as well as the option to browse a menu of relevant maternal and infant health information that mothers can explore themselves over WhatsApp.
Arm Title
Relevant Content + Browsable Content Model
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
This is a combination of the Relevant Content and Browsable Content Models on WhatsApp (RCM+BCM), including appointment reminders, clinical information, a browsable menu and prompts to relevant stage-based topics. Mothers receive weekly conversation starter messages.
Intervention Type
Behavioral
Intervention Name(s)
Quality-Based Digital Messaging
Intervention Description
The impact of MomConnect's models will be evaluated using a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Randomization will be at the individual level, where an individual refers to the "unique user", which is defined by the unique phone number used at the time of registration to MomConnect at health facilities. Randomizing control and treatment allocations ensures that the study groups will be comparable in terms of observable and unobservable characteristics in expectation. Therefore, statistical inference can shed light on the likelihood that any differences in outcome variables at the end of the intervention were caused by the intervention as compared to chance. We will also study the treatment effects on different outcomes between the different arms of the experiment - comparing outcomes across different treatment arms or outcomes in the control to outcomes in treatment arms will help us answer the aforementioned research questions.
Primary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Knowledge/Attitude Index
Description
Includes knowledge of/attitudes towards diet, breastfeeding, and anemia
Time Frame
Based on phone survey conducted 8 weeks after expected delivery
Title
Behaviour Index
Description
Includes behaviour related to ante-natal care visits, diet, pregnancy preparedness, breastfeeding, anemia, and child vaccinations
Time Frame
Based on phone survey conducted 8 weeks after expected delivery

10. Eligibility

Sex
Female
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Pregnant women signing up for MomConnect when being between 16-30 weeks pregnant Exclusion Criteria: All others
Central Contact Person:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name or Official Title & Degree
Philipp M Kastrau, PhD
Phone
+254746649552
Email
philipp.kastrau@idinsight.org
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name or Official Title & Degree
Crystal H Huang, PhD
Email
crystal.huang@idinsight.org
Facility Information:
Facility Name
Praekelt
City
Cape Town
Country
South Africa
Individual Site Status
Recruiting
Facility Contact:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Jane Passmore
Phone
+27114829775
Email
jane@praekelt.org

12. IPD Sharing Statement

Plan to Share IPD
Undecided

Learn more about this trial

Testing Content Delivery Models for MomConnect

We'll reach out to this number within 24 hrs