Intention to use a mobile phone to receive mental health support and its predicting factors among women attending antenatal care at public health facilities in Ambo town, West Shoa zone, Ethiopia, 2022.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Mental health problems are the commonest morbidities of women during the prenatal period. Mobile phone penetration has substantially increased in Ethiopia and identified as a good vehicle for enhancing evidence-based monitoring and selfsupport for individuals with a high risk of mental health problems.

However, evidence is

scarce on the intention to use mobile phones and its predicting factors to receive mental

health support among prenatal women in Ethiopia.

Objective: To assess the intention to use a mobile phone to receive mental health support and its predicting factors among women attending antenatal care at public health facilities in Ambo town, Ethiopia 2022. Methods and materials: An institutional-based cross-sectional was conducted among women attending antenatal care at public health facilities in Ambo town from May 20 to June 20. A total of 715 prenatal women were included and a systematic random sampling technique was employed. An interviewer-administered structured questionnaire was used. Kobocollect mobile application was used for data collection and exported to SPSS version 25 for the descriptive part, and AMOS 26 structural equation modeling was also used to describe and assess the degree and significance of relationships between variables. Results: A total of 699 (97.8%response rate) responded to complete all the questionnaires. The structural equation modeling results show that perceived usefulness has a positive effect on attitude (?=0.391, p<0.001) and intention to use (?=0.253, p<0.001). The perceived ease of use influences perceived usefulness (?=0.253, p<0.001) and attitude ?=0.579, p<0.001). The intention to use is positively affected by attitude (?=0.662, p<0.001). Also, trust has a positive effect on perceived usefulness (?=0.580, p<0.001) and intention to use (?=0.113, p=0.005). Conclusion and recommendation: The level of intention to use a mobile phone among prenatal women is high and attitude, perceived usefulness, and trust had positive effects on intention to use a mobile phone. Therefore, hospitals and healthcare providers establish strategies and policies for providing mobile phone-based mental health support to prenatal women. Keywords: mHealth, ANC, TAM, Intention to Use, Mental Health, Ethiopia