Heterogeneous mobile phone ownership and usage patterns in Kenya

Abstract

The rapid adoption of mobile phone technologies in Africa is offering exciting opportunities for engaging with high-risk populations through mHealth programs, and the vast volumes of behavioral data being generated as people use their phones provide valuable data about human behavioral dynamics in these regions. Taking advantage of these opportunities requires an understanding of the penetration of mobile phones and phone usage patterns across the continent, but very little is known about the social and geographical heterogeneities in mobile phone ownership among African populations. Here, we analyze a survey of mobile phone ownership and usage across Kenya in 2009 and show that distinct regional, gender-related, and socioeconomic variations exist, with particularly low ownership among rural communities and poor people. We also examine patterns of phone sharing and highlight the contrasting relationships between ownership and sharing in different parts of the country. This heterogeneous penetration of mobile phones has important implications for the use of mobile technologies as a source of population data and as a public health tool in sub-Saharan Africa.

Figure 1. A description of mobile phone ownership and sharing practices in Kenya.

A) Mobile phone ownership in Kenya. Map showing the survey locations (based on 2^nd level selection) and number of surveys across the country as part of the FSDK 2009. Map background is divided into counties, and colored according to population density (see color bars). B) Proportion of Kenyans who own or use a mobile phone, and proportion of non-owners who share a phone. Of those who share (left), the second pie chart shows who they share with (household (HH) member, friend or family member, or local mobile phone agent.

Figure 2. The relationship between mobile phone ownership and socioeconomic attributes.

Income (A), age (B), and education (0 = None, 1 = Some primary, 2 = Primary completed, 3 = Some secondary, 4 = Secondary completed, 5 = Technical training, 6 = University), (C) for all individuals in the survey. Binned values reflect the structure of the survey questions.

Figure 3. The relationship between population density and poverty rate with mobile phone ownership.

A) The relationship between population density and poverty rate in Kenya by county. Each circle represents a county, with the size of the circle corresponding to the total county population, and the color of the circle representing the percent of the population considered urban (see main text). B) The relationship between mobile phone ownership and poverty rate in Kenya by county. Circles sized and colored as above.

Figure 4. The distribution of mobile phones in different income brackets.

Urban A) and rural counties B) are shown separately. Here, urban counties were classified as those having 50% or more of their population considered urban. Rural counties were classified as those having up to 50% of their population considered urban.

Figure 5. The relationship between mobile phone ownership and sharing.

A) The relationship between mobile phone ownership and sharing behavior, by county. Circles are colored by percentage of the population of the country considered urban (see main text), and their size represents the percentage of individuals in a county that doesn't use a mobile phone at all. B) Map showing the counties where less than 30% of individuals own and less than 30% of individuals share a phone. The colors correspond to 3A, representing the percentage of the population considered urban.