Acceptability of a smartphone application to enhance healthcare to female genital mutilation survivors in Liberia: a qualitative study
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Authors
Nordmann, Kim
Martínez-Pérez, Guillermo Z.
King, Mandella
Küpper, Thomas
Subirón-Valera, Ana Belén
Issue Date
2022-08-31
Type
Article
Language
en_US
Keywords
Liberia , mHealth , Female Genital Mutilation , Knowledge Acquisition , Self-Directed Learning
Alternative Title
Abstract
In Liberia, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a legally allowed initiation ritual in the secret Sande society. Due to the secrecy, Liberian healthcare providers receive little education on FGM/C and its health consequences. As mobile learning approaches proved to efficiently increase providers’ knowledge and skills, a mobile application (‘app’) was designed to support self-learning, decision-making, and the follow-up of FGM/C survivors’ health. The ‘app’ was introduced in a capacity-building project in 2019 and evaluated through this qualitative study to assess healthcare provider’s needs and acceptance. We conducted 22 semi-structured interviews and eight focus group discussions with 42 adult healthcare providers in three Liberian counties. A thematic approach grounded in descriptive phenomenology guided data analysis and led to three main themes: the ‘app’, mobile learning and health education, and personal impression. Healthcare providers judge the ‘app’ useful to broaden their knowledge and skills, which might lead to better FGM/C detection and management. The ‘app’ might further facilitate patient and community education about the negative health consequences of FMG/C, possibly contributing to a reduction of FGM/C prevalence.
Description
Citation
Nordmann, K., Martínez-Pérez, G. Z., King, M., Küpper, T., & Subirón-Valera, A. B. (2022). Acceptability of a Smartphone Application to Enhance Healthcare to Female Genital Mutilation Survivors in Liberia: A Qualitative Study. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(17), 10855. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710855
Publisher
International Journal of Environmental Research And Public Health