Leveraging Sociodemographic, Digital Exposure, and Knowledge-Based Empowerment Factors to Improve Maternal Health Behaviour Among Married Women in Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the 2018 NDHS

Why It Matters

The findings highlight digital health as a lever to close maternal care gaps, offering policymakers a cost‑effective pathway to boost antenatal and delivery services in low‑resource settings.

Key Takeaways

• Mobile phone ownership raises ANC visit rates among Nigerian married women
• Internet use correlates with higher likelihood of facility‑based delivery
• SMS family‑planning messages improve health knowledge and service uptake
• Digital access complements education and wealth in driving maternal care utilization

Pulse Analysis

Nigeria continues to grapple with high maternal mortality, a challenge that directly impedes progress toward Sustainable Development Goals 3 (good health) and 5 (gender equality). While poverty, education gaps, and rural residence have long been recognised as barriers to care, the rapid diffusion of mobile technology offers a new avenue for intervention. Recent data show that over 70% of Nigerian adults now own a mobile phone, yet digital literacy and internet penetration remain uneven, creating both opportunities and disparities in health outreach.

The 2018 NDHS cross‑sectional analysis of 28,888 married women reveals that digital exposure—specifically mobile phone ownership, regular internet use, and participation in mobile financial transactions—significantly boosts antenatal care attendance and the likelihood of delivering in a health facility. Moreover, women who received family‑planning information via SMS or engaged with health content on social media demonstrated higher health knowledge scores, translating into more proactive service utilisation. These effects persisted after controlling for age, education, wealth, and regional factors, indicating that digital tools act as independent catalysts rather than mere proxies for socioeconomic status.

For policymakers, the study underscores the need to integrate digital health strategies into maternal‑health programs. Expanding affordable broadband, supporting locally relevant health apps, and partnering with telecom providers to disseminate evidence‑based messaging can amplify outreach without the high costs of traditional infrastructure. Simultaneously, investments in digital literacy and gender‑sensitive content are crucial to ensure that gains are inclusive. As Nigeria scales these initiatives, the model may serve as a blueprint for other low‑ and middle‑income countries seeking to harness technology to accelerate maternal‑health outcomes.