Sesikhona! (we are here): Use of smartphone-based GPS technology to measure ultra-high resolution mobility patterns of young adults in rural KwaZulu Natal
South Africa, 2023 - 2025
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AHRI.Sesikhona.Phase3.Enrolment
Sesikhona! (we are here): Use of smartphone-based GPS technology to measure ultra-high resolution mobility patterns of young adults in rural KwaZulu Natal
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| South Africa | ZA |
This is a first of its kind study using smartphone-based GPS technology to record ultra-high resolution mobility patterns of approximately 800 young adults (comprising the Sesikona! Cohort) aged 20-30 years in rural KwaZulu Natal.
The Sesikhona! study aims to:
i) Determine typologies of movement in the age-group 20-30 in a HIV hyper-endemic population.
ii) Quantify movements in and out of known high HIV risk locations.
The long-term aim of the study is to design a location-intelligent smartphone intervention using real-time, precision messaging targeting those at high risk of HIV acquisition, transmission, and treatment failure.
This study involves young adults aged 20-30 years who participated in the 2019 AHRI HIV survey and are resident members in Sothern PIP area. The study collects longitudinal mobility data using a customized version of the Avicenna research platform, which uses Android location services to record the device's location at 30-minute intervals (initially every 5 minutes). Data are uploaded to a secure study server every hour. If location data were missing for 48-72 hours, participants were contacted by phone or visited at home) for troubleshooting. The study was conducted in 3 phases:
Phase I (Jun 2021 - Aug 2022): participants who consented to join the study were provided a smartphone or could opt to use their own device (smartphone), provided it met the technical requirements of the study protocol. In October 2021, an AHRI Connector app was introduced, enabling data upload via a secure VPN without requiring an data bundle on the device. Participants were followed for 6 months and completed monthly surveys assessing their experience, attitudes towards the study and protocol adherence.
Phase II (Jul 2022 - May 2023): all participants used their personal smartphones. To enhance study engagement, a gamified feature 'Wheel of Fortune' was introduced in October 2022, allowing participants to play daily for a chance to win prizes (data bundles, airtime and shopping vouchers). As in phase I, participants were followed for 6 months and completed the monthly surveys.
Phase III (Nov 2023 - Jun 2025): participants from phases I and II were reconsented and followed for an additional 12-18 months. P During this phase, they completed a series of surveys covering sexual behaviour, mental health, mobility and travel, mHealth readiness, and adherence to the study protocol.
Demographic data and consent were collected using REDCap. All mobility data and survey responses were collected via the Avicenna Research Platform app.
Survey data
Unique space-time records
Version
v1.0.0
Scope
| Topic | Vocabulary | URI |
|---|---|---|
| GPS technology, smartphone-based GPS, human mobility, young adults, HIV, mobile health, digital technology | Africa Health Research Institute | www.ahri.org |
Coverage
Movement patterns of Sesikhona! Participants 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 the study
Producers and sponsors
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Nelisiwe Mtshali | AHRI |
| Nompumelelo Mkwanazi | AHRI |
| Prof. Frank Tanser(Principal Investigator) | AHRI |
| Prof Adrian Dobra | University of Washington |
| Prof Till Barnighausen | AHRI |
| 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.
Data collection
| Start | End |
|---|---|
| 2023-11-01 | 2025-06-30 |
Data processing
Raw uncleaned space-time data records obtained from Sesikhona! participants via the Avicenna app
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.
Mtshali, N., Mkwanazi, N., Tanser, F., Dobra, A., & Barnighausen, T. (2026). Sesikhona! (we are here): Use of smartphone-based GPS technology to measure ultra-high resolution mobility patterns of young adults in rural KwaZulu Natal [Dataset]. Africa Health Research Institute.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.23664/AHRI.SESIKHONA.PHASE3.ENROLMENT
Metadata production
AHRI.Sesikhona.Phase3.Enrolment
| Name | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| Africa Health Research Institute | AHRI |