Dozie Ugonma Winnie, Daniel Gift Uchechi, Raphael Clara Ogechi, Dozie Kelechukwu Celestine Nosike, Nnadede Chioma Judith, Nkem Igwe Chidinma, Anthony Agwoko, Dozie Ikechukwu Nosike Simplicius
Department of Public Health, Federal University of Technology Owerri, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.
Department of Statistics, Imo State University, Owerri, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.
BMC Public Health. 2025 Aug 4;25(1):2646. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-23935-2.
The research aimed to pinpoint the user experiences, factors influencing adoption of digital health tools and the effectiveness of these tools in hypertension self-management. This study was conducted in a selected referral hospital in Imo State, Nigeria.
This is a descriptive study design conducted in hospital setting with three hundred and thirty five (335) persons serving as the respondents. Data were obtained through the use of structured questionnaires and analyzed using the Statistical package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27.0 software to evaluate socio-demographic characteristics, user experience, effectiveness of digital health tools, factors influencing adoption and success, and their relationship with socio-demographic variables.
The study revealed diverse user demographics, with 105(31%) aged 35-44, 230 (69%) identifying as Christians, and 170 (51%) belonging to the Igbo ethnicity. Most respondents were married 180 (54%), had tertiary education 142 (42%), and self-employed 89 (27%). Despite high awareness 221 (66%) of digital health tools, challenges were noted, including dissatisfaction 74 (33%), very difficulty with the user interface 62 (28%), and accuracy issues 116 (52%). While 74 (33%) rated the tools to provide positive improvement, 63 (28%) reported worsening in blood pressure. Factors influencing adoption included ease of use 119 (54%), recommendations from health providers 144 (65%), cost considerations 148 (67%) and trust in digital health technology 132 (60%). Significant associations were found between socio- demographic characteristics and adoption factors such as age (χ² = 140.67, p < 0.001), religion (χ² = 34.95, p < 0.001), ethnicity (χ² = 77.1, p < 0.001), marital status (χ² = 46.19, p < 0.001), number of children (χ² = 165.09, p < 0.001), educational level (χ² = 99.73, p < 0.001) and level of income (χ² = 46.63, p < 0.001).
The study sheds light into the utilization of digital health tools for hypertension self- management. Addressing usability issues, engaging healthcare providers, improving affordability, leveraging local support networks, and conducting longitudinal research are recommended to optimize the effectiveness and adoption of digital health tools in hypertension management in the region. These findings contribute to the growing body of knowledge on digital health interventions in resource-limited settings and inform future research and interventions aimed at improving healthcare delivery and outcomes for hypertension in Nigeria and similar contexts.
本研究旨在明确数字健康工具的用户体验、影响其采用的因素以及这些工具在高血压自我管理中的有效性。本研究在尼日利亚伊莫州一家选定的转诊医院开展。
这是一项在医院环境中进行的描述性研究设计，335人作为受访者。通过使用结构化问卷获取数据，并使用社会科学统计软件包（SPSS）27.0版软件进行分析，以评估社会人口学特征、用户体验、数字健康工具的有效性、影响采用和成功的因素，以及它们与社会人口学变量的关系。
研究揭示了多样的用户人口统计学特征，105人（31%）年龄在35 - 44岁，230人（69%）为基督教徒，170人（51%）属于伊博族。大多数受访者已婚，共180人（54%），接受过高等教育的有142人（42%），自营职业的有89人（27%）。尽管对数字健康工具的知晓率较高，达221人（66%），但仍存在一些挑战，包括不满意的有74人（33%）、用户界面使用非常困难的有62人（28%）、准确性问题有116人（52%）。虽然74人（33%）认为这些工具带来了积极改善，但63人（28%）报告血压恶化。影响采用的因素包括易用性，有119人（54%）；医疗服务提供者的推荐，有144人（65%）；成本考量，有148人（67%）；以及对数字健康技术的信任，有132人（60%）。研究发现社会人口学特征与采用因素之间存在显著关联，如年龄（χ² = 140.67，p < 0.001）、宗教（χ² = 34.95，p < 0.001）、种族（χ² = 77.1，p < 0.001）、婚姻状况（χ² = 46.19，p < 0.001）、子女数量（χ² = 165.09，p < 0.001）、教育水平（χ² = 99.73，p < 0.001）和收入水平（χ² = 46.63，p < 0.001）。
本研究揭示了数字健康工具在高血压自我管理中的使用情况。建议解决可用性问题、让医疗服务提供者参与进来、提高可承受性、利用当地支持网络，并开展纵向研究，以优化数字健康工具在该地区高血压管理中的有效性和采用率。这些发现有助于丰富资源有限环境中数字健康干预措施的知识体系，并为未来旨在改善尼日利亚及类似背景下高血压医疗服务提供和治疗效果的研究及干预措施提供参考。
