Digital health and human rights of young adults in Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam: a qualitative participatory action research study
Introduction Digital health offers the potential to strengthen health systems in low- and middle-income countries. However, experts have warned about threats to human rights.Methods We used qualitative methods to investigate how young adults in Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam use their mobile phones to acc...
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BMJ Publishing Group
2023-05-01
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| Series: | BMJ Global Health |
| Online Access: | https://gh.bmj.com/content/8/5/e011254.full |
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| author | Tony Sandset Trang Pham Allan Maleche Sara L M Davis Elsie Ayeh Georgina Caswell Do Dang Dong Tara Imalingat Irene Kpodo Kaitlin Large Nomtika Mjwana Mike Podmore Nerima Were Alex Kilonzo Muthui Cedric Nininahazwe Timothy Wafula |
| author_facet | Tony Sandset Trang Pham Allan Maleche Sara L M Davis Elsie Ayeh Georgina Caswell Do Dang Dong Tara Imalingat Irene Kpodo Kaitlin Large Nomtika Mjwana Mike Podmore Nerima Were Alex Kilonzo Muthui Cedric Nininahazwe Timothy Wafula |
| author_sort | Tony Sandset |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction Digital health offers the potential to strengthen health systems in low- and middle-income countries. However, experts have warned about threats to human rights.Methods We used qualitative methods to investigate how young adults in Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam use their mobile phones to access online health information and peer support, and what they see as the effect on their human rights. We applied a transnational participatory action research approach. Global and national networks of people living with HIV, AIDS activists, young adults and human rights lawyers participated in study design, desk review, digital ethnography, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and qualitative analysis.Results We interviewed 174 young adults ages 18–30 in 24 focus groups in 7 cities in Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam, and held 36 key informant interviews with national and international stakeholders. Young adults reported predominantly using Google, social media and social chat groups for health information. They emphasised reliance on trusted peer networks, and the role of social media health champions. However, gender inequalities, class, education and geography create barriers to online access. Young adults also disclosed harms linked to seeking health information online. Some described anxiety about phone dependence and risk of surveillance. They called for a greater voice in digital governance.Conclusion National health officials should invest in young adults’ digital empowerment, and engage them in policy to address benefits and risks of digital health. Governments should cooperate to demand regulation of social media and web platforms to uphold the right to health. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9daf12ade8b94c24a3a25e82f18958dc |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2059-7908 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Global Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-9daf12ade8b94c24a3a25e82f18958dc2025-08-20T02:51:34ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Global Health2059-79082023-05-018510.1136/bmjgh-2022-011254Digital health and human rights of young adults in Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam: a qualitative participatory action research studyTony Sandset0Trang Pham1Allan Maleche2Sara L M Davis3Elsie Ayeh4Georgina Caswell5Do Dang Dong6Tara Imalingat7Irene Kpodo8Kaitlin Large9Nomtika Mjwana10Mike Podmore11Nerima Were12Alex Kilonzo Muthui13Cedric Nininahazwe14Timothy Wafula15University of Oslo Faculty of Medicine, Oslo, NorwayVietnam Viral Hepatitis Alliance, Reston, Virginia, USAKenya Legal & Ethical Issues Network on HIV and AIDS (KELIN), Nairobi, KenyaGlobal Health Centre, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, SwitzerlandGhana Network of Persons Living with HIV (NAP+ Ghana), Accra, GhanaGlobal Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), Cape Town, South AfricaVietnam Network of People Living with HIV (VNP+), Hanoi, Viet NamKELIN, Nairobi, KenyaGhana Network of Persons Living with HIV (NAP+ Ghana), Accra, GhanaGraduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneve, SwitzerlandGlobal Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), Cape Town, South AfricaSTOPAIDS, London, UKKELIN, Nairobi, KenyaUniversity of Nairobi, Nairobi, KenyaGlobal Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), Amsterdam, The NetherlandsKELIN, Nairobi, KenyaIntroduction Digital health offers the potential to strengthen health systems in low- and middle-income countries. However, experts have warned about threats to human rights.Methods We used qualitative methods to investigate how young adults in Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam use their mobile phones to access online health information and peer support, and what they see as the effect on their human rights. We applied a transnational participatory action research approach. Global and national networks of people living with HIV, AIDS activists, young adults and human rights lawyers participated in study design, desk review, digital ethnography, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and qualitative analysis.Results We interviewed 174 young adults ages 18–30 in 24 focus groups in 7 cities in Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam, and held 36 key informant interviews with national and international stakeholders. Young adults reported predominantly using Google, social media and social chat groups for health information. They emphasised reliance on trusted peer networks, and the role of social media health champions. However, gender inequalities, class, education and geography create barriers to online access. Young adults also disclosed harms linked to seeking health information online. Some described anxiety about phone dependence and risk of surveillance. They called for a greater voice in digital governance.Conclusion National health officials should invest in young adults’ digital empowerment, and engage them in policy to address benefits and risks of digital health. Governments should cooperate to demand regulation of social media and web platforms to uphold the right to health.https://gh.bmj.com/content/8/5/e011254.full |
| spellingShingle | Tony Sandset Trang Pham Allan Maleche Sara L M Davis Elsie Ayeh Georgina Caswell Do Dang Dong Tara Imalingat Irene Kpodo Kaitlin Large Nomtika Mjwana Mike Podmore Nerima Were Alex Kilonzo Muthui Cedric Nininahazwe Timothy Wafula Digital health and human rights of young adults in Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam: a qualitative participatory action research study BMJ Global Health |
| title | Digital health and human rights of young adults in Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam: a qualitative participatory action research study |
| title_full | Digital health and human rights of young adults in Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam: a qualitative participatory action research study |
| title_fullStr | Digital health and human rights of young adults in Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam: a qualitative participatory action research study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Digital health and human rights of young adults in Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam: a qualitative participatory action research study |
| title_short | Digital health and human rights of young adults in Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam: a qualitative participatory action research study |
| title_sort | digital health and human rights of young adults in ghana kenya and vietnam a qualitative participatory action research study |
| url | https://gh.bmj.com/content/8/5/e011254.full |
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