Reaching adolescents through the media & through mobile phones October 2016 Reaching adolescents through the media & through mobile phones Dr V Chandra-Mouli (chandramouliv@who.int) Training Course in Sexual and Reproductive Health Research Geneva 2016

Key statement 1 Adolescents and young people are attuned to mass media for information & cues on how to behave. Hence, mass media is an important means of reaching them with messages about their health, including sexual & reproductive health. Definition: Mass media are a range of technologies for reaching a large audience with communication (Source: Wikipedia).

Key statement 2 A systematic review by WHO showed that mass media interventions (radio, television and print) which combined with supporting media (posters, booklets/pamphlets, videos & theatre performances) are effective in improving knowledge, self efficacy in contraceptive use, influencing some social norms, increasing interpersonal communication & increasing condom use. Source: WHO. Preventing HIV/AIDS in young people. Evidence from developing countries. What works. WHO. Geneva. 2007.

Key statement 3 In both high and low income countries, a section of radio, television & print media targets adolescents and young people. Targeted mass media represents a powerful means of understanding what adolescents and young people are concerned about & reaching them with messages tailored to their needs and preferences.

Key statement 4 Adolescents and young people everywhere are turning away from 'traditional' mass media to 'new' media for information & entertainment. New media use electronic means to enable users to access content. New media includes video recordings, audio recordings, CD Roms and online content. Definitions: Traditional mass media includes radio, television and print media. New media provide 'on demand' access to content using digital devices as well as interactive user feedback. (Source: Wikipedia)

Key statement 5 In just a few years, social media has radically transformed how people link up and communicate with each other. It is a powerful tool to reach & engage adolescents and young people. It is also associated with negative outcomes – including cyber-bullying, sexual predation and drawing impressionable young people into fundamentalist groups. Definition: 'Social media' is the means of interaction among people in which they create, share and exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks. 'Cyberbullying' is the use of the internet and related technologies to harm or harass other people, in a deliberate, repeated and hostile manner. A 'sexual predator' is a person who obtains/tries to obtain sexual contact with another person in the same way as a predator (such as leopard) hunts down its prey. (Source: Wikipedia)

Key statement 6 Mobile phone subscriptions are surging worldwide; including in the poorest countries of the world. They represent a powerful way of reaching adolescents and young people with tailored content. They provide the means to reach them with information that they desperately need, when lack of comfort & capacity are important barriers to communication between adults (family members, teachers, health workers and others) and adolescents and young people. m4RH is an exciting initiative which uses this technology to reach adolescents and young people with contraceptive information (http://m4rh.fhi360.org/)

Key statement 7 "Most published studies of mHealth interventions are from developing countries." A I Chukwuemeka. Is mobile health (mHealth) the magic bullet ? A short review of the impact of mHealth on adolescent sexual health. Journal of Public Health & Epidemiology. 2015. Volume 7 (8), 252-268. To fill this gap, WHO is carrying out an intervention study in two sites, to test the impact & coverage of an on-demand m-Health system. L Gonsalves et al. Adolescent/Youth Reproductive Mobile Access and Delivery Initiative for Love and Life Outcomes (ARMADILLO) Study: formative protocol for mHealth platform development and piloting . Reproductive Health. 2015. 12.67. DOI The ARMADILLO intervention (Adolescent/Youth Reproductive Mobile Access and Delivery Initiative for Love and Life Outcomes ) is an on-demand system where young people, ages 15-24, can obtain locally developed, accurate SRH content. The study has three phases: Phase 1: Content development and adaption for mHealth platform; piloting of messages Phase 2: Impact evaluation Phase 3: Coverage assessment Based on evidence of high mobile phone penetration and need for SRH information among young people, ARMADILLO is being conducted in Kenya and Peru. Additional countries are under consideration.