Low-income and minority women often fall through the cracks when it comes to routine health care. But text messages may provide a solution, finds a study led by Wendy Bennett, an internist. Bennett and her team are now designing a pilot text-messaging program, which they’ll test next spring, to promote healthy behaviors in women before and after pregnancy.

The study surveyed 246 women receiving prenatal or postnatal care or care for their infants at either The Johns Hopkins Hospital or Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. Of those, 95 percent reported using mobile phones, and 74 percent said they used a smartphone. 

“The takeaway point was that cellphone—not just smartphone—use was very high in the whole population, regardless of race or ethnicity,” says Bennett. “Almost everybody owned a cellphone and sent text messages.”

Based on these results, Bennett says, clinic providers and health promotion programs could seize an opportunity to reach these women through text messages. Physicians could send reminders when it’s time for follow-up appointments, booster shots or other routine visits for women and children. They could also supplement virtual health coaching to promote healthy behavior changes through text messaging.

Virtual coaching could include sending automatic messages asking women about their health and behaviors. For example, a text might ask how many fruits and vegetables a woman has eaten that day. Depending on the response, another automatic message could be sent to compliment on her success or encourage her to add a piece of fruit to her lunch. 

Routine health care around a birth can set up mother and baby for a lifetime of good health care. Bennett says, “Pregnancy is a perfect time to talk about health, weight, nutrition, and sustaining healthful behaviors during and after pregnancy.”