Using mobile phones and social media to facilitate education and support for rural-based midwives in South Africa.

Curationis · 2015 · Benefit · Low evidence

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BenefitLow evidencePaper 2977

Study snapshot

PublicationCurationis · 2015

Study typecross_sectional

Reported directionBenefit

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Empirical studies show the value of mobile phones as effective educational tools to support learning in the nursing profession, predominantly in high income countries. PROBLEM STATEMENT: The rapidly increasing prevalence of mobile phone technology in Africa nourishes hopes that these tools could be equally effective in lowly resourced contexts, specifically in efforts to achieve the health-related Millennium Development goals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception and use of mobile phones as educational and professional tools by nurses in lowly resourced settings. METHODOLOGY: A quantitative survey using self-administered questionnaires was conducted of rural advanced midwives. RESULTS: Fifty-six nurses (49.6%) from the 113 rural-based midwives attending an advanced midwifery training programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, filled in a questionnaire. The results showed that, whilst nurses regarded their technology competences as low and although they received very little official support from their educational and professional institutions, the majority frequently used mobile functions and applications to support their work and learning processes. They perceived mobile devices with their voice, text, and email functions as important tools for the educational and professional activities of searching for information and engaging with facilitators and peers from work and study contexts. To a lesser extent, the use of social networks, such as WhatsApp and Facebook, were also reported. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: It is concluded that educational institutions should support the appropriate use of mobile phones more systematically; particularly in relation to the development of mobile network literacy skills.

Machine Enhanced Logic

AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typecross_sectional

Effect directionbenefit

PopulationRural-based advanced midwives/nurses attending an advanced midwifery training programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Sample size56

ExposureNot supplied

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

In a survey of rural-based midwives, respondents reported low technology competence and little official institutional support, but the majority frequently used mobile phone functions and applications to support work and learning. Voice, text, and email were perceived as important for searching information and engaging with facilitators and peers; social networks such as WhatsApp and Facebook were used to a lesser extent.

Outcomes measured

Perceptions of mobile phones as educational/professional tools
Self-reported use of mobile phone functions/applications for work and learning
Perceived technology competence
Institutional/official support for mobile phone use
Use of social networks (e.g., WhatsApp, Facebook)

Limitations

Quantitative survey with self-administered questionnaires (self-reported measures)
Only 56 of 113 eligible midwives completed the questionnaire

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "cross_sectional",
  "exposure": {
    "band": null,
    "source": "mobile phone",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": null
  },
  "population": "Rural-based advanced midwives/nurses attending an advanced midwifery training programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa",
  "sample_size": 56,
  "outcomes": [
    "Perceptions of mobile phones as educational/professional tools",
    "Self-reported use of mobile phone functions/applications for work and learning",
    "Perceived technology competence",
    "Institutional/official support for mobile phone use",
    "Use of social networks (e.g., WhatsApp, Facebook)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "In a survey of rural-based midwives, respondents reported low technology competence and little official institutional support, but the majority frequently used mobile phone functions and applications to support work and learning. Voice, text, and email were perceived as important for searching information and engaging with facilitators and peers; social networks such as WhatsApp and Facebook were used to a lesser extent.",
  "effect_direction": "benefit",
  "limitations": [
    "Quantitative survey with self-administered questionnaires (self-reported measures)",
    "Only 56 of 113 eligible midwives completed the questionnaire"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "mobile phones",
    "mHealth",
    "education",
    "midwives",
    "nurses",
    "rural",
    "South Africa",
    "WhatsApp",
    "Facebook",
    "survey"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": []
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.4102/curationis.v38i2.1500
PubMed: 26842093

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