Design Considerations Framework for Mobile Based Service to Promote Reproductive Health Information for the Youth-at-Risk in Addis Ababa
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Date
2021-09-12
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
It is common for teenagers to face many puberty-related challenges as they transition to adulthood, and these challenges are worsened by a lack of access to reproductive health information. Youth are the most affected in current times because of various health disturbances. For youths to make better choices, they must be informed about critical life issues, including reproductive health information. Mobile technology is now a vital part of everyday life and is increasingly popular among younger generations, opening new possibilities for providing relevant mobile-based services for obtaining information. Mobile platforms have recently made health information more accessible and shared. The research project aims to improve the development of reproductive health information services for youth aged 15-24 in Addis Ababa through mobile-based services with an emphasis on design considerations.
Most of the solutions and mobile-based services based on mobile technology are copied from elsewhere, with little or no consideration for the communities and individuals who will use these services. Throughout the process of creating the model and the prototype for mobile-based reproductive health information service, youth were engaged in different activities as part of the design process as design partners. In a systematic manner, design science methods were used as the methodology. The design science research phases guided the design process of the service prototyped here, from ideation to co-design. The different methods youth-at-risk use to access information, especially reproductive health information, were identified. Technology and existing practices for accessing reproductive health information were also identified.
According to the results, the youth use mobile phones for sharing and receiving health-related information. In the current day and age, youth have access to reproductive health information and services, but they must travel long distances to reach some services by foot or by vehicle.
It is recommended that when developing any community-based solution, all stakeholders need to be included in the co-design process to ensure an ideal solution for users that is useful and relevant. By involving the user in the design process, innovations become more easily adopted by the user and technology is easy to adopt. User contributions are needed since they contribute
knowledge, experiences, and ways of doing things that improve the solution. The study recommends that services be developed in the future based on the findings herein.
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Keywords
Design Considerations, Framework for Mobile, Based Service to Promote Reproductive, Health Information, Youth-At-Risk in Addis Ababa