Effects of a Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Mobile Health Program on Diarrhea and Child Growth in Bangladesh: A Cluster-randomized Controlled Trial of the Cholera Hospital-based Intervention for 7 Days (CHoBI7) Mobile Health Program

Background: The Cholera Hospital-Based Intervention for 7 Days (CHoBI7) mobile health (mHealth) program was a cluster-randomized controlled trial of diarrhea patient households conducted in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Methods: Patients were block-randomized to 3 arms: standard message on oral rehydration solution use; health facility delivery of CHoBI7 plus mHealth (no home visits); and health facility delivery of CHoBI7 plus 2 home visits and mHealth. The primary outcome was reported diarrhea in the past 2 weeks collected monthly for 12 months. The secondary outcomes were stunting, underweight, and wasting at a 12-month follow-up. Analysis was intention-to-treat.

Results: Between 4 December 2016 and 26 April 2018, 2626 participants in 769 households were randomly allocated to 3 arms: 849 participants to the standard message arm, 886 to mHealth with no home visits arm, and 891 to the mHealth with 2 home visits. Children <5 years had significantly lower 12-month diarrhea prevalence in both the mHealth with 2 home visits arm (prevalence ratio [PR]: 0.73 [95% confidence interval {CI}, .61-.87]) and the mHealth with no home visits arm (PR: 0.82 [95% CI, .69-.97]). Children <2 years were significantly less likely to be stunted in both the mHealth with 2 home visits arm (33% vs 45%; odds ratio [OR]: 0.55 [95% CI, .31-.97]) and the mHealth with no home visits arm (32% vs 45%; OR: 0.54 [95% CI, .31-.96]) compared with children in the standard message arm.

Conclusions: The CHoBI7 mHealth program lowered pediatric diarrhea and stunting among diarrhea patient households.

Clinical trials registration: NCT04008134.