AHRI:Sesikhona! (we are here) mHealth readiness
DDI.AHRI.Sesikhona.mHealth.Readiness.Survey
Nompumelelo Mkwanazi
Sweetness H Dube
Africa Health Research Institute
Nesstar Publisher
AHRI:Sesikhona! (we are here) mHealth readiness
AHRI.Sesikhona.mHealth.Readiness.Survey
Prof. Frank Tanser(Principal Investigator)
Prof Adrian Dobra
Prof Till Barnighausen
Africa Health Research Institute
Nesstar Publisher
National Institute of Health
German Science Foundation
Academy of Medical Sciences Newton Fund
5R01HD084233
BA2064/14-1
NAF527791
v1.0.0
Human mobility, HIV, GPS technology, digital technology, mobile health readiness
GPS technology, smartphone-based GPS, human mobility, young adults, HIV, mobile health, digital technology, mobile health, mobile health readiness
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
South Africa
Residents from uMkhanyakude in KwaZulu Natal but move anywhere in South Africa
Young adults aged 20-30 years old
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
Survey data
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.
Mobile health readiness survey responses from Sesikhona participants via the Avicenna app
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.
AHRI.Sesikhona.mHealth.Readiness.Survey.2025.v1.0.NSDstat
92
57
Nesstar 200801
Participant ID
92
0
39636
100921
52996.641
12982.912
Status of Smartphone and cellphone number changes
92
0
1
The participant completed the activity and submitted it
92
2
The participant did not want to complete the activity and explicitly canceled it
0
3
The activity was not responded to in time, so Ethica automatically closed the session and uploaded it to the server
0
4
The session was blocked by another active session from the same activity and could not be prompted
0
5
Based on the responses the participant has provided so far, this session's criteria is invalid and will not be presented
0
When you first got your current smartphone, you are using, was it used by someone
92
0
1
I am first user
62
2
My partner/spouse used it
9
3
My sibling used it
3
4
Someone else
7
5
I bought it second hand
11
How long have you been using the smartphone for?
92
0
1
0-6 months
21
2
6-12 months
15
3
1-2 years
20
4
2-3 years
12
5
Over 3 years
24
How long have you had your current cellphone number?
92
0
1
0-6 months
7
2
6-12 months
10
3
1-2 years
11
4
2-3 years
13
5
Over 3 years
51
How many cellphone numbers have you had in the past 2 years?
92
0
1
1
35
2
2
38
3
3
9
4
4 or more
10
Record Time 22754
92
2024-09-19
2024-11-12
Status of network coverage
92
0
1
The participant completed the activity and submitted it
92
2
The participant did not want to complete the activity and explicitly canceled it
0
3
The activity was not responded to in time, so Ethica automatically closed the session and uploaded it to the server
0
4
The session was blocked by another active session from the same activity and could not be prompted
0
5
Based on the responses the participant has provided so far, this session's criteria is invalid and will not be presented
0
What type of network is available on your mobile phone right now?
92
0
1
3G
15
2
4G LTE
69
3
5G
4
4
No network
4
How many network bars are visible on the phone?
92
0
1
None
2
2
Less than half
7
3
Half
28
4
More than half
16
5
Full
39
Record Time 22753
92
2024-09-18
2024-11-12
Status of airtime and data use
92
0
1
The participant completed the activity and submitted it
92
2
The participant did not want to complete the activity and explicitly canceled it
0
3
The activity was not responded to in time, so Ethica automatically closed the session and uploaded it to the server
0
4
The session was blocked by another active session from the same activity and could not be prompted
0
5
Based on the responses the participant has provided so far, this session's criteria is invalid and will not be presented
0
Do you currently have any minutes or airtime to make outbound calls?
92
0
1
Yes
34
2
No
58
How many days has your phone not had minutes or airtime?
58
34
1
1
11
2
2
4
3
3
7
4
4 or more
36
Sysmiss
34
Last month how much did you spend on airtime?
92
0
1
Yes
59
2
No
33
Do you currently have any data balance to search internet or use social media?
33
59
1
1
4
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
4 or more
23
Sysmiss
59
How many days has your phone not had any data?
92
0
1
Prepaid data bundle
43
2
Convert airtime to data
45
3
Contract data plan
4
Last month how much did you spend on data?
92
0
1
All-purpose data
63
2
Social data bundle (facebook, WhatsApp)
29
WhatsApp
57
35
1
Yes
57
2
No
0
Sysmiss
35
Facebook
48
44
1
Yes
48
2
No
0
Sysmiss
44
Tick Tok
41
51
1
Yes
41
2
No
0
Sysmiss
51
YouTube
38
54
1
Yes
38
2
No
0
Sysmiss
54
Instagram
13
79
1
Yes
13
2
No
0
Sysmiss
79
X
11
81
1
Yes
11
2
No
0
Sysmiss
81
Last month how much did you spent on airtime?
92
0
-200
300
34.957
71.41
Last month how much did you spent on data?
92
0
-200
350
55.424
81.564
Record Time 22755
92
2024-09-20
2024-11-15
Status of internet and app use
92
0
1
The participant completed the activity and submitted it
91
2
The participant did not want to complete the activity and explicitly canceled it
1
3
The activity was not responded to in time, so Ethica automatically closed the session and uploaded it to the server
0
4
The session was blocked by another active session from the same activity and could not be prompted
0
5
Based on the responses the participant has provided so far, this session's criteria is invalid and will not be presented
0
When last did you use any of the apps?
91
1
1
Less than 24 hrs
50
2
1-7 days
22
3
8-30 days
5
4
More than 30 days
14
Sysmiss
1
Chat apps (WhatsApp, Snapchat)
72
20
1
Yes
72
2
No
0
Sysmiss
20
Social media apps (media(Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok)
61
31
1
Yes
61
2
No
0
Sysmiss
31
Video streaming ((YouTube,Netflix,Showmax)
34
58
1
Yes
34
2
No
0
Sysmiss
58
Financial apps (e.g., Capitec, FNB, Zapper)
37
55
1
Yes
37
2
No
0
Sysmiss
55
Email (Gmail, Microsoft outlook)
51
41
1
Yes
51
2
No
0
Sysmiss
41
Since yesterday, how much time did you spend on these apps?
92
0
-20
220
16.348
31.181
Record Time 22757
92
2024-09-23
2024-11-12
Status of mHealth readiness
92
0
1
The participant completed the activity and submitted it
89
2
The participant did not want to complete the activity and explicitly canceled it
3
3
The activity was not responded to in time, so Ethica automatically closed the session and uploaded it to the server
0
4
The session was blocked by another active session from the same activity and could not be prompted
0
5
Based on the responses the participant has provided so far, this session's criteria is invalid and will not be presented
0
Have you ever used a mobile phone to get information about health (it could apps
92
0
1
Yes
76
2
No
16
When was the last time?
76
16
1
Less than 24 hrs
16
2
1-7 days
23
3
8-30 days
17
4
More than 30 days
20
Sysmiss
16
Have you ever used a mobile phone to make or receive a call or message from a hea
89
3
1
Yes
43
2
No
46
Sysmiss
3
When was the last time that you used a mobile phone to make or receive a call or
43
49
1
Less than 24 hrs
8
2
1-7 days
10
3
8-30 days
6
4
More than 30 days
19
Sysmiss
49
Have you ever visited a health clinic where the doctor or nurse called another do
88
4
1
Yes
32
2
No
56
Sysmiss
4
Have you ever used a mobile phone to monitor or track any aspects of your persona
89
3
1
Yes
31
2
No
58
Sysmiss
3
When was the last time that you used a mobile phone to monitor or track aspects o
31
61
1
Less than 24 hrs
8
2
1-7 days
7
3
8-30 days
6
4
More than 30 days
10
Sysmiss
61
Check symptoms
30
62
1
Yes
30
2
No
0
Sysmiss
62
Treatment
17
75
1
Yes
17
2
No
0
Sysmiss
75
Side effects
17
75
1
Yes
17
2
No
0
Sysmiss
75
Wellness e.g. weight or nutrition or gym
24
68
1
Yes
24
2
No
0
Sysmiss
68
Other, specify
15
77
1
Yes
15
2
No
0
Sysmiss
77
Record Time 22758
92
2024-09-23
2024-11-12
Status 22756
92
0
1
The participant completed the activity and submitted it
92
2
The participant did not want to complete the activity and explicitly canceled it
0
3
The activity was not responded to in time, so Ethica automatically closed the session and uploaded it to the server
0
4
The session was blocked by another active session from the same activity and could not be prompted
0
5
Based on the responses the participant has provided so far, this session's criteria is invalid and will not be presented
0
Does anyone else other than you ever use your phone?
92
0
1
Yes
35
2
No
57
Who else uses your phone?
35
57
1
Partner/spouse
7
2
Child
13
3
Mother/Father
2
4
Sibling
9
5
Other
4
Sysmiss
57
When was the last time this person used your phone?
35
57
1
Less than 24 hrs
19
2
1-7 days
7
3
8-30 days
2
4
More than 30 days
7
Sysmiss
57
Who has the phone most of the day?
19
73
1
I do
16
2
Someone else does
3
Sysmiss
73
Does anyone in your family/household check your messages/call history?
92
0
1
Always
7
2
Sometimes
28
3
Never
57
Record Time 22756
92
2024-09-23
2024-11-12