Mobile Technology Access and Use Among Adolescent Mothers in Lima, Peru: Mixed Methods Study

Levey, Elizabeth J; Onyeaka, Henry; Bartles, Sophia M; Sanchez Calderon, Elena; Sanchez, Sixto E; Prom, Maria C; Fesseha, Eden M; Gelaye, Bizu

BACKGROUND: Research shows promise for the use of mobile health interventions to improve access to care for mothers and infants. Although adolescent mothers in particular are comfortable with technology and often face barriers to accessing care, data on the use of digital interventions with young mothers are limited. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine technology access and use behavior among adolescent mothers in Lima, Peru, to inform the development of technology-mediated perinatal interventions for high-risk mothers and infants in low- and middle-income countries and other areas with limited access to care. METHODS: This mixed methods study consisted of a phone survey about technology access (N=29), focus group discussions with clinicians (N=25), and semistructured in-depth interviews with adolescent mothers (N=10) and their family members (N=8) in Lima. RESULTS: All adolescent mothers surveyed had access to a smartphone, and nearly half had access to a computer or tablet. However, participants reported a number of obstacles to consistent smartphone access related to the financial precarity of their situations. Examples of this included difficulty affording phone services, using shared plans, and losing smartphones because of theft. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that adolescent mothers are connected to technology, highlighting the potential scalability of technology-based health interventions for adolescent mothers in low- and middle-income countries while identifying barriers that need to be addressed.