Improving early child development in Kenya using mobile health interventions
Achieving Sustained Early Child Development Impacts at Scale: A Test in Kenya
This study is testing a mobile health program that sends parenting tips to mothers of young children in Kenya to see if it helps improve their kids' development.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 1200 (estimated) |
| Ages | 4 Months and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of Southern California Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Kisumu) |
| Trial ID | NCT06140017 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This study aims to enhance early childhood development outcomes in low- and middle-income countries by testing a mobile health intervention called Msingi Bora, which focuses on responsive parenting and family well-being. The intervention targets mothers or primary caretakers of children aged 6-18 months, utilizing SMS messages to deliver parenting support and resources. By leveraging the widespread use of mobile communications, the study seeks to provide a scalable and sustainable solution to improve child development in resource-limited settings. The effectiveness of this approach will be rigorously evaluated to determine its long-term impacts on child behavior and language development.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates for this study are mothers or primary caretakers aged 18 years or older with children aged 6-18 months who can read English or Swahili.
Not a fit: Patients who may not benefit from this study include those without children or whose children are outside the specified age range.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this intervention could significantly improve early childhood development outcomes for children in low-resource settings.
How similar studies have performed: While there is limited rigorous research on mobile-health interventions for early childhood development in low- and middle-income countries, the approach has shown promise in other health-related fields.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * mothers or other primary caretakers aged 18 years or older * able to read English or Swahili at a level sufficient to understand the SMS messages * with a child aged 6-18 months at recruitment without signs of severe mental or physical impairments (youngest child if more than one eligible for a given mother) Exclusion Criteria: * mothers/households without children * households with children that are outside the age range of 6-18 months at baseline * mothers who lack basic literacy so as not to understand SMS messages
Where this trial is running
Kisumu
- Safe Water and AIDS Project — Kisumu, Kenya (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Italo Lopez Garcia, PhD — University of Southern California
- Study coordinator: Italo Lopez Garcia, PhD
- Email: italolop@usc.edu
- Phone: 12137641564
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.