Digital health interventions for pregnant women and mothers with under 5-year-olds in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review

Objective

This scoping review explores digital health interventions used to improve maternal health and the health of children under-5-year-olds in rural areas of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), identifying current practices and research gaps.

Methods

Guided by PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews, a comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, and grey literature search with Google Scholar, and the South African National Electronic Theses and Dissertations Portal. MeSH terms and Boolean operators were used. Studies were screened using the Population, Concept, and Context framework, and data were extracted systematically.

Results

Of 5,114 records, 63 met inclusion criteria. Digital health interventions, particularly mobile health, were found to enhance service delivery, education, and support for maternal and child health in LMICs. However, challenges such as limited access to technology, digital literacy, and cultural barriers persist. Contextual factors, including geography and sociocultural norms, significantly influenced implementation success.

Conclusion

Digital health interventions show promise in improving maternal and child health in LMICs. However, regional disparities, technological limitations, and cultural misalignment hinder scalability. Future research should focus on culturally adaptive, community-engaged approaches and long-term impact assessments to support sustainable health promotion in low-resource settings.