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Digital Tools to Improve Parenting Behavior in Low Income Settings: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Study in Peru

Fri, March 24, 3:30 to 5:00pm, Salt Palace Convention Center, Floor: 1, Meeting Room 151 A-C

Abstract

Introduction: Home visiting programs are one of the most promising interventions for low-income settings (Aboud & Yousafzai, 2015; Jeong et al., 2021). Results from a recent evaluation in Peru of the national ECD program ("Programa Nacional Cuna Más") have shown it to positively impact ECD and be cost-effective at scale (MIDIS, 2013; Araujo et al., 2021). However, this program can currently only support the most vulnerable families. Digital parenting interventions are increasingly considered as potentially cost-effective means for providing ECD services in low-income settings and addressing gaps in access to ECD services in Peru, as well as in many other low-income settings. This 5- month mixed-methods pilot study evaluated the feasibility of using Afinidata, a comprehensive FacebookMessenger based digital parenting intervention, in a remote rural setting in Latin America. We extensively tested the reach, reception, and use of Afinidata, and explored necessary adaptations to local context in preparation for a currently ongoing full-scale RCT. Afinidata provides parents of children under six with developmentally-appropriate activities that support early development and learning, leveraging artificial intelligence to customize activity recommendations towards families’ preferences based on dynamically collected user feedback (Castellanos, 2020).

Hypotheses: We expected the vast majority of mothers to have access to smart phones in both rural and urban areas and that the platform would be received and used similarly across contexts.

Study Population: This feasibility pilot study was conducted in three provinces in the Cajamarca region of Peru from February 2021 to July 2021. 180 mothers with children aged between 2-24 months and regular access to a smartphone were enrolled in the pilot. These mothers were living across 49 representative communities.

Methods: This study employed mixed-methods to conduct extensive field-testing. Internet and mobile phone connectivity were measured and then mothers were interviewed three times in-person. Selected mothers also participated in focus groups or in-depth qualitative interviews.

Results: Despite the rural and remote study site, 88% of local families with children between 0- 24 months had access to internet and smartphones. Two months after baseline, 84% of all mothers reported using the platform at least once, and of those, 87% rated it as useful to very useful. Overall, Afinidata was received very positively. Mothers cited time constraints as the main barrier for participation. Lessons learned from the detailed qualitative and quantitative feedback on Afinidata allowed for intervention adaptations to be made for the implementation of the RCT. These modifications focused on elements that would assist mothers in navigating the platform independently and included the addition of a laminated booklet containing general information on child development, sample activities and detailed instructions on how to self-enroll in case of lost phones. The results suggest that digital ECD interventions are well received by mothers across urban and rural settings and with diverse individual characteristics. High access to smart phones and the positive reception and use of the intervention in very remote areas of Peru suggests that digital parenting interventions could be a promising path forward for supporting low-income families in remote parts of Latin America.

Authors