AHRI:Sesikhona! (we are here) mHealth readiness
South Africa, 2024 - 2025
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AHRI.Sesikhona.mHealth.Readiness.Survey
AHRI:Sesikhona! (we are here) mHealth readiness
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| South Africa | ZA |
The Sesikhona study is the first of its kind study using smartphone-based GPS technology to record ultra-high resolution mobility patterns of over 200 young adults aged 20-30 years in rural KwaZulu Natal. The study seeks to identify distinct movement typologies within this highly mobile, HIV hyper-endemic population and to quantify travel in and out of known high-risk locations, with the long-term goal of developing a location-intelligent smartphone intervention that delivers real-time, precision messaging to individuals at heighten risk of HIV acquisition, transmission or treatment interruption. Conducted in three phases between 2021 and 2025, the study used the Avicenna Research Platform to collect GPS and survey data. Between 2023 and 2025, consenting individuals self-completed monthly mobile health surveys to assess the use of technology including quality of the smartphone, change of cell phone number, phone sharing, network coverage and data and airtime spend, as well as experience with and willingness to use mobile health. 22754, 25867, 22753, 22755, 22757, 22756
Survey data
Young adults aged 20-30 years old
Version
v1.0.0
Scope
| Topic | Vocabulary | URI |
|---|---|---|
| GPS technology, smartphone-based GPS, human mobility, young adults, HIV, mobile health, digital technology, mobile health, mobile health readiness | Africa Health Research Institute | www.ahri.org |
Coverage
Residents from uMkhanyakude in KwaZulu Natal but move anywhere in South Africa
A random sample of adults aged 20-30 years old who were resident in Southern PIPSA, participated in the 2019 HIV surveillance and consented to participate in Sesiskhona study and opted in for the mobile health surveys
Producers and sponsors
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Prof. Frank Tanser(Principal Investigator) | Africa Health Research Institute/ Stellenbosch University |
| Prof Adrian Dobra | University of Washington |
| Prof Till Barnighausen | Africa Health Research Institute/Medical Faculty and University Hospital, Heildelberg University, Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg, Germany |
| Name |
|---|
| Africa Health Research Institute |
| Name | Abbreviation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| National Institute of Health | NIH | Funder |
| German Science Foundation | DFG | Funder |
| Academy of Medical Sciences Newton Fund | NAF | Funder |
Sampling
Participants were randomly selected from the 2019 AHRI HIV surveillance program if they were aged 20-30 years old and had participated in the HIV survey in 2019 and were resident members in the southern PIP and owned a smartphone that supported the study app.
Data collection
| Start | End |
|---|---|
| 2024-09-01 | 2025-06-30 |
Data processing
Mobile health readiness survey responses from Sesikhona participants via the Avicenna app
Data Access
Access to the data requires accurate completion of the online data access application form accessible on the AHRI Data repository(https://data.ahri.org/). Data users are required to abide by the data use conditions stipulated on the application for access to the data. Failure to do so may result in their data access privileges being revoked by the Data Custodian. In order to recognise the effort and intellectual contributions of AHRI investigators in producing and curating the data, users of AHRI data must acknowledge the source of the data and abide by the terms and conditions under which the data is accessed and must cite the dataset in publication using the citation provided as part of this documentation. All analytical datasets published on the AHRI Data Repository are assigned digital object identifier (DOIs) and the DOIs can be found on the Data Repository under Study Description tab - Access policy. AHRI data users are required to always cite the dataset using the relevant DOI.
Tanser, F., Dobra, A., & Barnighausen, T. (2025). AHRI:Sesikhona! (we are here) mHealth readiness [Data set]. Africa Health Research Institute.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.23664/AHRI.SESIKHONA.MHEALTH.READINESS.SURVEY
Metadata production
DDI.AHRI.Sesikhona.mHealth.Readiness.Survey
| Name | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| Africa Health Research Institute | AHRI |