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Preventing dengue through mobile phones: Evidence from a field experiment in Peru

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  • Dammert, Ana C.
  • Galdo, Jose C.
  • Galdo, Virgilio

Abstract

Dengue is the most rapidly spreading mosquito-borne viral disease in the world (WHO, 2009). During the last two decades, the dramatic rise in the number of dengue infections has been particularly evident in Latin American and the Caribbean countries. This paper examines the experimental evidence of the effectiveness of mobile phone technology in improving households’ health preventive behavior in dengue-endemic areas. The main results suggest that repeated exposure to health information encourages households’ uptake of preventive measures against dengue. As a result, the Breteau Index in treatment households, an objective measure of dengue risk transmission, is 0.10 standard deviations below the mean of the control group, which shows a reduction in the number of containers per household that test positive for dengue larvae.

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  • Dammert, Ana C. & Galdo, Jose C. & Galdo, Virgilio, 2014. "Preventing dengue through mobile phones: Evidence from a field experiment in Peru," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 147-161.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:35:y:2014:i:c:p:147-161
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2014.02.002
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    2. Aggarwal, Shilpa, 2021. "The long road to health: Healthcare utilization impacts of a road pavement policy in rural India," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    3. Diether W. Beuermann & Patricia Garcia & Jose Perez Lu & Rafael Anta & Alessandro Maffioli & Maria Fernanda Rodrigo, 2020. "Information and Communication Technologies, Prenatal Care Services, and Neonatal Health," Journal of Economics, Race, and Policy, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 41-59, March.
    4. Aziz, Sonia & Boyle, Kevin & Akanda, Ali S. & Hanifi, M.A. & Pakhtigian, Emily L., 2022. "Early Warning Systems, Mobile Technology, and Cholera Aversion: Evidence from Rural Bangladesh," RFF Working Paper Series 22-24, Resources for the Future.
    5. Rajkhowa, Pallavi & Qaim, Matin, 2022. "Mobile phones, women's physical mobility, and contraceptive use in India," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 305(C).
    6. Pakhtigian, Emily L. & Aziz, Sonia & Boyle, Kevin J. & Akanda, Ali S. & Hanifi, S.M.A., 2024. "Early warning systems, mobile technology, and cholera aversion: Evidence from rural Bangladesh," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    7. Marcus, Maja-Emilia & Reuter, Anna & Rogge, Lisa & Vollmer, Sebastian, 2021. "Did you know? The effect of SMS reminders on health screening uptake in Indonesia," VfS Annual Conference 2021 (Virtual Conference): Climate Economics 242404, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    8. Manuela Fritz & Michael Grimm & Ingmar Weber & Elad Yom-Tov & Benedictus Praditya, 2022. "Uncover your risk! Using Facebook to increase personal risk awareness and screening of type 2 diabetes in Indonesia," Working Papers 221, Bavarian Graduate Program in Economics (BGPE).
    9. Haenssgen, Marco J. & Ariana, Proochista, 2017. "The Social Implications of Technology Diffusion: Uncovering the Unintended Consequences of People’s Health-Related Mobile Phone Use in Rural India and China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 286-304.
    10. Lenel, Friederike & Priebe, Jan & Satriawan, Elan & Syamsulhakim, Ekki, 2022. "Can mHealth campaigns improve CCT outcomes? Experimental evidence from sms-nudges in Indonesia," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
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    12. Kai Barron & Luis Fernando Gamboa & Paul Rodriguez-Lesmes, 2015. "Short Term Health Shocks and School Attendance: The Case of a Dengue Fever Outbreak in Colombia," Documentos de Trabajo 12646, Universidad del Rosario.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Dengue; e-Health; Peru; Framing; Experimental design;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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