Due to copyright issues, an electronic copy of the thesis must be ordered from the faculty. For the faculty to have time to process the order, the order must be received by the faculty at the latest 2 days before the public defence. Orders received later than 2 days before the defence will not be processed. After the public defence, please address any inquiries regarding the thesis to the candidate.
Trial Lecture – time and place
See Trial Lecture.
Adjudication committee
- First opponent: Researcher Hannah Lütke Lanfer, University of Bielefeld, Germany
- Second opponent: Professor Edda Tandi Lwoga, College of Business Education, Dar es salaam, Tanzania
- Third member and chair of the evaluation committee: Professor Anne Moen, University of Oslo
Chair of the Defence
Associate Professor Grethe Månum, University of Oslo
Principal Supervisor
Professor Andrea Sylvia Winkler, University of Oslo
Summary
Improving health knowledge is crucial for disease management and strengthening healthcare systems. Access to quality health education in rural communities in the Global South is limited but essential for achieving SDG 3. This PhD thesis aimed to design digitized health education for HIV/AIDS, TB, and Taenia solium cysticercosis/taeniosis (TSCT) and investigate its impact on rural Tanzanian participants.
Using a multi- and interdisciplinary approach, animated videos and a health platform were developed with feedback from local stakeholders. Information spots (InfoSpots) hosting the digitized health education were implemented on study sites. The study employed a mixed-method approach, using qualitative semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire in a non-randomized health education intervention study. Thirty-five interviews were conducted with InfoSpots users and non-users to explore local perspectives and experiences. A total of 600 participants were recruited into intervention and control groups. The intervention included supervised viewing of animated videos and voluntary access to InfoSpots with additional health education content. Participants were followed up at three and 12 months after the baseline assessment.
The interviews revealed positive reception of the digitally enabled health education, but also that better promotion could have enhanced platform usage. Many users reported a need for guidance when accessing the platform. The intervention group showed significant increases in disease-specific knowledge compared to the control group: 10.2% higher for HIV/AIDS, 12.0% for TB, and 31.5% for TSCT. Users of InfoSpots demonstrated even higher knowledge gains.
Overall, digitally enabled health education holds potential for enhancing disease management and prevention in rural Tanzania, thereby supporting the healthcare system. However, further research is necessary to assess long-term impacts on health outcomes and behavior change.
Additional information
Contact the research support staff.