A scoping review of digital interventions for improving adolescent sexual and reproductive health outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Background: Adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) challenges remain a major public health concern in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where high rates of unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and unmet contraceptive needs persist. Traditional SRH education and service de...
| Publicado en: | Discover Public Health Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 1 - 28 |
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| Autores principales: | , , , , , |
| Formato: | research systematic review tables/charts Journal Article |
| Publicado: |
Springer Nature
8/28/2026
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=196568502&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 196568502 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 30050774 NM7Z jtl: Discover Public Health issn: 30050774 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: 8/28/2026 vid: 23 iid: 1 pid: 237 pub: Springer Nature place: New York, New York artinfo: ui: 196568502 196568502 196568502 10.1186/s12982-026-02779-0 196568502 ppf: 1 ppct: 27 formats: tig: atl: A scoping review of digital interventions for improving adolescent sexual and reproductive health outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa. aug: au: Esan, Blessing Titilope Ngwai, Yakubu Boyi Akyala, Adamu Ishaku Esan, Oluwafemi Adebukola Olugbemi, Moses Kayode Aremu, Stephen Olaide affil: https://ror.org/04ybvje46 Global Health and Infectious Diseases Control Institute, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Nasarawa, Nigeria sug: subj: Sexual Health In Adolescence Reproductive Health In Adolescence Adolescent Health Trends Internet-Based Intervention Evaluation Quality Improvement Human Child Adolescence Young Adult Male Female Africa South of the Sahara Scoping Review Conceptual Framework PubMed Program Implementation Text Messaging Mobile Applications Social Media World Wide Web Telehealth Health Knowledge HIV Infections Diagnosis Contraception Behavioral Changes Internet Access Sexism Health Policy Health Services Accessibility Data Analysis Software Child: 6-12 years Adolescent: 13-18 years Male Female ab: Background: Adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) challenges remain a major public health concern in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where high rates of unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and unmet contraceptive needs persist. Traditional SRH education and service delivery approaches often fail to effectively reach adolescents due to stigma, limited access, and inadequate health infrastructure. With the rapid expansion of mobile technology and internet connectivity, digital interventions have emerged as innovative tools for improving SRH knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among young people. This scoping review aimed to map and synthesize existing evidence on digital interventions designed to enhance adolescent SRH outcomes in SSA, identify key trends, assess effectiveness, and highlight gaps for future research and practice. Methods: Following Arksey and O'Malley's (2005) framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a systematic search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for studies published between 2010 and 2025. Eligible studies focused on adolescents aged 10–19 years, implemented digital-based SRH interventions, and were conducted in SSA. Data were extracted on study characteristics, intervention types, outcomes, and implementation challenges. A narrative synthesis was used to summarize findings. Results: Sixty-seven studies met inclusion criteria. Interventions primarily employed SMS messaging, mobile applications, social media campaigns, web portals, and telehealth platforms. Most reported improvements in SRH knowledge, HIV testing uptake, and contraceptive use. However, evidence of sustained behavioral change was limited. Implementation challenges included poor internet access, gender disparities in device ownership, privacy concerns, and inadequate policy support. Conclusion: Digital interventions show significant potential for advancing adolescent SRH in SSA, but scalability and sustainability remain constrained by structural and contextual barriers. Future programs should emphasize equity, cultural sensitivity, participatory design, and robust evaluation frameworks to maximize impact. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research systematic review tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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