Influence of Fertility Tracking Applications as Digital Health Communication Platforms in Delta State, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26740/jsm.v10n2.p426-447Keywords:
Fertility Tracking Applications, Digital Health Communication, Reproductive Health Information, Ovulation Monitoring Behavior, Women in Delta StateAbstract
This study examined the influence of fertility-tracking applications, as digital health communication platforms, on women’s ovulatory monitoring behavior in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria. Guided by the Health Belief Model, the study adopted a descriptive survey design. The population comprised approximately 60,000 women aged 15–49, from whom 397 respondents were selected using the Taro Yamane formula and convenience sampling. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using means and standard deviations, with a criterion mean of 2.50. Findings revealed high exposure to reproductive health information through fertility-tracking applications (mean = 3.06), high engagement with that information (mean = 3.06), and a positive influence on ovulatory monitoring behavior (mean = 3.07). The study concludes that fertility tracking applications extend beyond menstrual tracking to serve as digital health communication platforms that promote reproductive health awareness and ovulatory monitoring. It recommends that developers provide evidence-based information, health professionals integrate these applications into reproductive health programs, and women use them to improve fertility awareness and reproductive health
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