Smartphone Ownership and the Willingness to receive Mobile Health Services among Patients with Hypertension in Nigeria.
By Dele Bolade Samson Babalola
A professor with distinction



There are traditional barriers to accessing quality hypertension care in sub-Saharan Africa. Mobile phone technology is increasingly being used to overcome these barriers. This study assessed smartphone ownership and the willingness to receive mobile health services among patients with hypertension in Nigeria. Four hundred and twenty-seven (427) patients with hypertension were recruited from two tertiary health institutions in Ekiti State, Nigeria.

Questionnaires were fed into the Open Data Kit form, which was used to take data on mobile phone ownership, the willingness to receive and the preferred type of mobile phone-based hypertension health care services. Males were 37.2%. Mean age was 60.6±15.3 years. Of the participants, 48.7% owned smartphones, 21.1% had regular internet subscription on their phones, 94.8% were willing to receive and pay mobile health services. Phone calls (48.0%) and text messages (31.6%) were the most preferred modes of receiving hypertension-related health education. Age category of 45-64 years was the only predictor of willingness to receive mobile health services.
All our participants owned mobile phones, with 48.7% being smartphones and almost all the participants were willing to receive and pay for mobile health services for prevention, treatment and information on hypertension. Middle age was the only predictor of willingness to receive mobile health, and the most preferred choices were through phone calls and text messages. The above information will guide in the design of favourable mHealth interventions that will be ideal for our study population.

Author : Dele Bolade Samson Babalola
A professor with distinction