“What’s that on your phone?” The aftermath of parents finding sexual and reproductive health messages on their children’s phone in coastal Kenya
Introduction: Digital health interventions allow young people to access information quickly and discreetly, but privacy remains a concern. This article explores what happens when a young user’s privately-access Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) messages from a digital health campaign in Kenya are...
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Edizioni FS
2018-07-01
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| Series: | Journal of Health and Social Sciences |
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| Online Access: | http://journalhss.com/wp-content/uploads/jhss32_147-156.pdf |
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| author | Jefferson Mwaisaka Lianne Gonsalves Lale Say Peter Gichangi |
| author_facet | Jefferson Mwaisaka Lianne Gonsalves Lale Say Peter Gichangi |
| author_sort | Jefferson Mwaisaka |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Digital health interventions allow young people to access information quickly and discreetly, but privacy remains a concern. This article explores what happens when a young user’s privately-access Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) messages from a digital health campaign in Kenya are discovered by his/her parents. Methods: This qualitative study took place in Mtwapa, Kenya. Participants were young people aged 15-24 and parents/caregivers of young people aged 15-24. Focus Group Discussions (FGD) with youth (n = 12 FGD, M = 48, F = 49) and caregiver (n = 4 FGD, M =14, F = 19), by using vignettes, explored perceived parental responses about their children accessing SRH information on mobile phones. 97 young people and 33 parent/caregivers participated. Results and Discussion: Sociodemographic characteristics of participants revealed that phone ownership was higher among young men than young women, and particularly low among young women aged 15-17. Youth participants indicated that parents finding SRH messages on their children’s phone would have a range of reactions, from positive to negative: supportive parents would appreciate the messages as a sign their child was being proactive about their health; negative reactions would stem from fear of the message recipient being sexually active. Parent participants accepted children accessing SRH information outside the home as an inevitability, and indicated that parents would cautiously accept or be fully supportive of their child accessing messages on their phone. Conclusions: In the event that a digital health intervention’s young user’s privacy is compromised, these findings demonstrate that the fears of extreme adverse reactions on the part of parents are likely overstated. Specific considerations for future digital health interventions are proposed. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-734d1d4eb3c24be7ae18247e91ea207f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2499-2240 2499-5886 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2018-07-01 |
| publisher | Edizioni FS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Health and Social Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-734d1d4eb3c24be7ae18247e91ea207f2025-01-18T18:20:31ZengEdizioni FSJournal of Health and Social Sciences2499-22402499-58862018-07-013214715610.19204/2018/whts5“What’s that on your phone?” The aftermath of parents finding sexual and reproductive health messages on their children’s phone in coastal KenyaJefferson Mwaisaka0Lianne Gonsalves1Lale Say2Peter Gichangi3International Centre for Reproductive Health, KenyaWorld Health Organization, Department of Reproductive Health and Research including UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), World Health Organization, Geneva, SwitzerlandWorld Health Organization, Department of Reproductive Health and Research including UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), World Health Organization, Geneva, SwitzerlandProf, International Centre for Reproductive Health, KenyaIntroduction: Digital health interventions allow young people to access information quickly and discreetly, but privacy remains a concern. This article explores what happens when a young user’s privately-access Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) messages from a digital health campaign in Kenya are discovered by his/her parents. Methods: This qualitative study took place in Mtwapa, Kenya. Participants were young people aged 15-24 and parents/caregivers of young people aged 15-24. Focus Group Discussions (FGD) with youth (n = 12 FGD, M = 48, F = 49) and caregiver (n = 4 FGD, M =14, F = 19), by using vignettes, explored perceived parental responses about their children accessing SRH information on mobile phones. 97 young people and 33 parent/caregivers participated. Results and Discussion: Sociodemographic characteristics of participants revealed that phone ownership was higher among young men than young women, and particularly low among young women aged 15-17. Youth participants indicated that parents finding SRH messages on their children’s phone would have a range of reactions, from positive to negative: supportive parents would appreciate the messages as a sign their child was being proactive about their health; negative reactions would stem from fear of the message recipient being sexually active. Parent participants accepted children accessing SRH information outside the home as an inevitability, and indicated that parents would cautiously accept or be fully supportive of their child accessing messages on their phone. Conclusions: In the event that a digital health intervention’s young user’s privacy is compromised, these findings demonstrate that the fears of extreme adverse reactions on the part of parents are likely overstated. Specific considerations for future digital health interventions are proposed.http://journalhss.com/wp-content/uploads/jhss32_147-156.pdfAdolescentcell phonesdigital healthhealth educationhealth promotionparentsprivacyreproductive health |
| spellingShingle | Jefferson Mwaisaka Lianne Gonsalves Lale Say Peter Gichangi “What’s that on your phone?” The aftermath of parents finding sexual and reproductive health messages on their children’s phone in coastal Kenya Journal of Health and Social Sciences Adolescent cell phones digital health health education health promotion parents privacy reproductive health |
| title | “What’s that on your phone?” The aftermath of parents finding sexual and reproductive health messages on their children’s phone in coastal Kenya |
| title_full | “What’s that on your phone?” The aftermath of parents finding sexual and reproductive health messages on their children’s phone in coastal Kenya |
| title_fullStr | “What’s that on your phone?” The aftermath of parents finding sexual and reproductive health messages on their children’s phone in coastal Kenya |
| title_full_unstemmed | “What’s that on your phone?” The aftermath of parents finding sexual and reproductive health messages on their children’s phone in coastal Kenya |
| title_short | “What’s that on your phone?” The aftermath of parents finding sexual and reproductive health messages on their children’s phone in coastal Kenya |
| title_sort | what s that on your phone the aftermath of parents finding sexual and reproductive health messages on their children s phone in coastal kenya |
| topic | Adolescent cell phones digital health health education health promotion parents privacy reproductive health |
| url | http://journalhss.com/wp-content/uploads/jhss32_147-156.pdf |
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