“Birth to Twenty” is the largest and longest running study of child and adolescent health and development in Africa. In 2009, it embraces the mobile era by connecting several thousand participants to the Mobile Researcher platform, facilitating real-time mobile data collection.

For seven weeks between March and June 1990, following Nelson Mandela’s release from prison, 3273 children were born in the metropolitan area of Johannesburg-Soweto and enrolled into a long-term birth cohort study that would follow them and their families for the next 20 years.

18 years into the study, colloquially nicknamed “Mandela’s Children”, the unprecedented adoption of mobile technologies by almost every segment of society, particularly the youth, presents the research team with an opportunity to connect with and collect data from the participants using entry level mobile phones and the Mobile Researcher platform.

A tiny mobile application installed on each participant’s phone will synchronise and download any surveys designed by the research team and guide participants, question by question, through submitting their responses. The ability for researchers to obtain information quickly, without the need to print, distribute, collect and capture responses manually is set to significantly enhance existing research capabilities and provide new opportunities for groundbreaking research.

By leveraging mobile phones, participants will be able to answer questions on a range of topics using an interface intimately familiar to them. Surveys containing complex logic can be designed from the system’s web-based console and deployed to specific individuals within minutes.

As the Birth to Twenty cohort moves from adolescence to adulthood, a new study called the “3G Study” has been launched in which female participants who are expecting babies and those who may already have children may enroll. This will provide further insight in a study which to date has had its findings presented at over 250 conferences and workshops worldwide, produced over 100 scientific papers and had a direct impact on government policy.

About Populi.net Mobile Researcher
Powered by the Populi.net platform, Mobile Researcher transforms the ubiquitous mobile phone into a cutting-edge research tool.

Leverage web and mobile technologies to design and deploy surveys to fieldworkers in minutes, monitor, manage and communicate with your team and analyse responses in real-time.

Developed by Digital Solutions company Clyral, Mobile Researcher presents a breakthrough in research technology. Learn more at mobileresearcher.com.