Pregnant Parents' Content Pre Testing

The first of many pre-testing sessions to come, this taught us a lot about the importance of finding the right voice, reading speed, and dialect. It was also our first opportunity to really get pregnant parents’ ideas about how they think the service might be able to help them.

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Pregnant Parents App Pre-Testing Focus Group I
Gowrie

23^rd January 2010.

 

Method

Translated Pregnant Parents’ app content was played in the local language (Nankam) to a group of approximately 20 people. Recordings were as follows:

1. Male voice, late 30s
2. Female voice, late 30s, fast and strong voice
3. Female voice, early 30s, slow and soft voice, background noise (pounding fufu, babies, etc)

 

Mobile Phone Ownership

• 4/11 participants owned a mobile phone
• 3/11 participants did not own a mobile phone but had access to one either within or outside the compound or household
• 4/11 participants had access to phone but not necessarily within the household

 

Feedback on Voice recordings

 

1. Male voice, late 30s

• The man’s recording was not clearly understood because he used the real indigenous language which is hard to understand because most pregnant women are intermarried from other communities and tribes
• Participants preferred an adult female voice since she has the experience of child birth and will talk about it more comfortably thus more educative.
• Men wanted to be able to listen to the messages together with their spouses so they both get informed and help each other interpret the messages. They said they would like it if some messages came from a male voice but they were also comfortable with a female voice.
• Some thought the language was too deep and too complex which makes it hard to bring the message out more clearly

 

2. Female voice, late 30s, fast and strong voice

• Very fast but women were able to pick the message
• A pregnant woman was able to interpret and explain the message from the recording

 

3. Female voice, early 30s, slow and soft voice, background noise (pounding fufu, babies, etc)

• Dialect more clear
• Background noise distractive to the listeners
• Slow speaking is boring to the pregnant women and it made them dose. It wasn't engaging and didn't sound natural. The lady sounded like she was reciting notes or just reading. She didn't sound experienced nor comfortable with what she was saying

 

Recorded song

• People were not able to pick the message out of the song because the words were not clear probably due to the rough recording.
• Preferred to get information using voice recordings as opposed to receiving information in a song. However the idea is welcome every once in a while.
• The sound of the song is familiar to the local setting
• Wanted to receive information on their radios in addition to the mobile phone because every household has access to one unlike the mobile phone.

 

Registration for PPA app

·         Want nurse to register them to help them establish due date etc. Comfortable revealing pregnancy to nurse, not to others in community.

·         Some say they would be comfortable giving information to CHVs. Comfortable revealing missed menses. Other said they would confide in health worker but not volunteer.

·         Sometimes worried about calling in even if told number is toll free.

·         Can flash and call.

·         Better to have the nurses register the patient because of confidentiality and trust.

• If the registration service is a free service for the woman, it would be easy for a woman to register herself with the call center.
• Calling the call center to get register is another confidential way to have women register on the service. Women liked the idea.
• Language used for registration: women want to be able to register themselves using their local languages. The languages vary according to where the patient comes from.

 

Preferred time to receive message

·         Saturday in the morning because everyone is at home then

·         8:30 in the night  - woman would have finished cooking

·         Someone said that her man has a phone and goes to work with it – he returns after she has left so no access to phone

·         6am – better time to move around than evening – for shared phones

 

Perceived benefits of receiving weekly messages

·         If message is listened together with husband, it will help them in the way they take care of their kids and pregnancy.

·         Educates you on what to do when pregnant. Certain things make you scared but messages tell you what to do, will encourage men to help you get to clinic to get help.

·         Process very educative – women learnt new things.

·         Will help ease arguments between woman and man.

·         Reminders about what to do and what not to do.

·         Listening to messages could encourage her to go to clinic about some of the things which make her scared.

• Messages will serve as reminders to her on certain things she might forget e.g. what to eat, when she should go for hospital visits.
• Said it would encourage them to go to a clinic especially if they see some of signs of danger pregnancy talked at in the messages.

 

Pregnant parents concerns and questions

·         Want nurses to receive same information so they can discuss at ANC.

·         Want a health worker to receive the call.

·         What language will call center operators speak – need local language.

·         Want information for child health as well as pregnancy.

·         Another asked if they can call helpline when sick before going to see nurse for medical help.

·         Its good to come back as MoTeCH team to interact with them from time to time

·         Preferred name for service: “Asungtaaba” (“let’s help each other”) or  “emaasum viisigu” “Health investigators”