Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 20, 2025
Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
Published on: August 7, 2017
How childhood diseases awareness contributes to minimize the risk of disease severity in children under five age: An
Mahvish Ponum1, Osman Hasan1, Saadia Khan1
1School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Insights
Mothers using a novel app accurately diagnosed childhood diseases, reducing severity risk. The app demonstrated high usability, particularly for illiterate mothers, and received positive feedback for wider healthcare integration.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Health Informatics
- Maternal Health
Background:
- Childhood disease awareness in mothers is crucial for minimizing disease severity in young children.
- Mobile health (mHealth) applications offer a potential tool to enhance maternal disease awareness and management.
- Evaluating the effectiveness of such applications is essential for their successful implementation in healthcare settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how maternal awareness of childhood diseases impacts disease severity in children under five.
- To assess the efficacy of a proposed mobile application designed to support mothers in disease recognition and management.
- To gather user feedback for app improvement and potential integration into healthcare systems.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 30 mothers was conducted at Children's Hospital and the Institute of Child Health Multan.
- Participants used a smartphone application over two sessions, with feedback incorporated between sessions.
- Quantitative and qualitative measures were employed to evaluate the app's effectiveness and usability.
Main Results:
- Mothers accurately diagnosed their children's diseases using the app's guidance.
- All participants found the app easy to use and expressed strong interest in its widespread availability.
- The app proved effective for mothers across various age groups, including those with limited literacy.
Conclusions:
- The mobile application is well-accepted by mothers and demonstrates ease of use, particularly for illiterate populations.
- Enhanced maternal disease awareness through mHealth tools can contribute to better child health outcomes.
- The app shows promise for integration into national healthcare strategies to improve pediatric care in Pakistan.
Objective:
To scrutinise the contribution of childhood disease awareness in mothers to minimise the risk of disease severity in children aged <5 years and to evaluate the effectiveness of a proposed app in this context.
Methods:
The evolutionary study was conducted in Children's Hospital and the Institute of Child Health Multan from September 2018 to February 2019 and comprised two sessions with the app involving 30 mothers who were provided with smartphones with the app installed. The mothers were divided into 4 age groups. The app was evaluated using quantitative and qualitative measures. Suggestions and opinions were obtained in the first session and all suggestions were implemented by the second session.
Results:
Of the 30 mothers, 8(26.6%) were in Group 1 aged 14-20 years, 12(40%) in Group 2 aged 21-27 years, 7(23.3%) in Group 3 aged 28-34 years and 3(10%) in Group 4 aged 35 years and above. The participants were able to diagnose their children's diseases accurately by following the instructions provided by the app. The subjects also agreed that they diagnosed the diseases accurately. All the participants were interested in the app and expressed the desire to have it available across the healthcare facilities in Pakistan.
Conclusions:
All subjects showed acceptance for the app and affirmed its easy usability, especially for illiterate mothers.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Factors Affecting Illness
For instance, risk factors are connected to illness,...
01:26Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin...
01:20Infection
The chain begins with pathogens: bacteria, viruses, fungi, prions, or parasites such as protozoa helminths. These can be present on the skin as transient or resident flora, or they can be acquired from the environment. Identifying and treating the type of infection and...
01:30Preventive Healthcare Services
01:26Principles of Disease Surveillance
01:21Causality in Epidemiology