Diwakar Mohan|Jean Juste Harrisson Bashingwa|Nicki Tiffin|Diva Dhar|Nicola Mulder|Asha George|Amnesty LeFevre
Does having a mobile phone matter? Linking phone access among women to health in India: An exploratory analysis of the National Family Health Survey
Johns Hopkins University|University of Cape Town|Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa|University of Cape Town|University of Cape Town|University of the Western Cape|University of Cape Town|Johns Hopkins University
background disruptive potential mobile phones catalyzing development increasingly recognized however numerous gaps remain access phones influence health care utilization crosssectional study india assess gaps womens access phones influencing factors influence health care utilization methods data drawn 2015 national family health survey nfhs india included national sample 45231 women data phone access survey design weighted estimates household phone ownership womens access among different population subgroups presented multilevel logistic models explored association phone access wide range maternal child health indicators blinderoaxaca bo decomposition used decompose gaps women without phone access health care utilization components explained background characteristics influencing phone access endowments unexplained components coefficients potentially attributable phone access findings phone ownership household level 928 95 ci 926930 rural ownership 911 908914 urban 971 967973 womens access phones 478 467488 416 rural areas 405426 627 604648 urban phone access urban areas positively associated skilled birth attendance postnatal care use modern contraceptives negatively associated early antenatal care phone access associated improvements utilization indicators rural settings phone access coefficient components explained large gaps use modern contraceptives moderate gaps postnatal care early antenatal care smaller differences use skilled birth attendance immunization full antenatal car phone access associated reducing gaps utilization interpretation women reproductive age significantly lower phone access use households belong marginalized women least phone access existing phone access rural women improve health care utilization associated greater utilization urban women without addressing biases digital health programs may risk worsening existing health inequities