Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://drepo.sdl.edu.sa/handle/20.500.14154/10
Browse
4 results
Search Results
Item Restricted Investigating the potential of using mHealth apps to support DASH diet self-management among individuals with high blood pressure in Saudi Arabia(University of Sheffield, 2024-09) Alnooh, Ghadah; Williams, Elizabeth; Hawley, MarkBackground: Hypertension is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke, affecting 1.28 billion adults worldwide. Saudi Arabia has a high prevalence of hypertension, with 48.2% of adults aged 40 to 64 living with high blood pressure (BP) in 2018. Lifestyle management is crucial in addressing this issue. Strategies for preventing and controlling hypertension include maintaining a healthy body weight, increasing physical activity levels, and adopting the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet as the front-line strategy. Effective dietary self-management can enhance adherence to the DASH diet and help control BP. In this context, mobile health (mHealth) apps are increasingly considered valuable resources for managing individuals’ diets. Smartphone apps may provide new opportunities to improve nutrition interventions and change behaviour. Nevertheless, despite these advantages, patients and health-care professionals can face difficulties in identifying and selecting the most suitable apps. Further research is needed to determine whether mHealth apps can support DASH diet self-management and improve adherence among individuals with high BP in Saudi Arabia. Aims: The overall aim of this thesis is to investigate the potential of using mHealth apps to support DASH diet self-management among individuals with high BP in Saudi Arabia. Methods: Four studies were conducted in two phases. Phase one aimed to identify the most suitable DASH diet self-management apps. An exploratory approach was used to gather information on relevant apps, including their effectiveness, theoretical basis, quality, safety, security, characteristics, and functions. This phase consisted of two studies: 1) a systematic review of existing literature and 2) an app store review. Phase two aimed to select the most suitable DASH diet app for the Saudi Arabian context and to evaluate its feasibility and acceptability within this context. This exploratory phase involved two studies: a qualitative study and a feasibility study. The qualitative study sought to gain insights into the experiences and perspectives of individuals with high BP and healthcare professionals who have used the DASH diet self-management apps identified in phase one as high-quality, secure, and potentially effective (Noom and DASH To Ten). This information was crucial in selecting the most appropriate app for the Saudi context. The feasibility study evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of using the Noom app to support DASH diet self-management among individuals with high BP in Saudi Arabia. Results: The first phase identified two high-quality, secure, and potentially effective DASH diet apps: DASH To TEN and Noom. In the second phase, the participants in the qualitative study selected the Noom app as the most suitable for the Saudi context. While during the feasibility study, the participants found the Noom app to be feasible and acceptable, they also suggested improvements for greater accessibility to the Saudi population, including translating it into Arabic and simplifying the food logging process. Conclusion: The contributions of this thesis are significant in addressing a crucial gap in current research: the need for more studies exploring the use of smartphone apps to enhance adherence to the DASH diet to control BP. The research employed a systematic staged approach to identify and select commercial dietary smartphone applications, enabling researchers to make well-informed decisions when selecting dietary apps. This approach provided a solid basis for developing a high-quality RCT of a widely available DASH diet app since this research carefully identified and selected a commercial DASH diet app and evaluated its feasibility, usability, and acceptability among individuals with high BP in Saudi Arabia. However, conducting an RCT in Saudi Arabia may face challenges if the app is not adapted to address participants' recommendations, particularly concerning the need to enhance its educational content to better align with the needs of Saudi users. In addition, dietitians can leverage these findings to recommend two high-quality, potentially effective, and secure apps to their patients, aiding in DASH diet self-management. This research also offers critical insights into the interactive features of these dietary apps, informed by feedback from both patients and health professionals. These insights are instrumental for researchers and developers aiming to design more effective and user-friendly dietary applications. This research’s exploration of the feasibility and acceptability of commercial dietary apps among Saudis can inform further studies in the mHealth field.15 0Item Restricted An exploration of the perceptions and experiences of adult heart failure patients utilizing telehealth monitoring in their homes: A Qualitative Systematic Review(Saudi Digital library, 2023-12-13) Alhazmi, Raneem Mohammed Ahmed; Whittingham, Katharine; Brindley, Allison; Gee, GarethAbstract Background Heart failure (HF) is a significant health issue since affected individuals endure a substantial load of symptoms and restrictions in their physical functioning, with implications on their mental and behavioural welfare. The implementation of a telemonitoring system promises to enhance the treatment of the disease by facilitating prompt medication adjustments, early identification of signs and symptoms indicating illness progression, and fostering the adoption of self-care practices. This qualitative systematic review examines the overall experiences of adult heart failure patients who used telemonitoring equipment inside their homes as a component of follow-up treatment and self-management. Objective To identify and explore the experiences and perceptions of adult HF using TM in their homes. Methods A qualitative systematic review was performed using the JBI framework, studies released between 2010 and 2022 and the search was implemented from three central databases that have been carefully searched (CINHAL full text, MEDLINE and PUBMED). Results Seven qualitative investigations, for a total of more than one hundred patients diagnosed with heart failure using telemonitoring tools. A total of forty-nine results were identified and eight categories derive. Four synthesised results were obtained: awareness and knowledge about their condition promote reassurance and self-empowerment, continuity in care facilitates adherence to habits and self-management, patients value in-person interactions with healthcare practitioners and perceive telemonitoring systems as lacking personalized touch, patients find value in the time efficiency and user-friendliness of telemonitoring systems, but technical and economic barriers often outweigh these benefits. Conclusion TM can enhance patients' disease awareness, knowledge, and self-care competence. Patients generally reported feeling reassured and empowered through daily self-monitoring, which helped establish their healthy routines. However, the qualitative evidence indicates that patients still highly value human connection and in-person support from healthcare professionals, seeing TM as an adjunct instead of serving as a substitute for in-person interactions44 0Item Restricted Factors Influencing mHealth Acceptance: An Empirical Investigation from a Trust-Anxiety Perspective(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-11-23) Alhazmi, Rawan; Dong-Ling, Xu; Yu-Wang, ChenMobile health (mHealth) is an emerging healthcare technology designed specifically for improving individuals’ quality of life. Despite mHealth purported benefits, its acceptance rates have fallen short of industry expectations. Lack of trust and anxiety have been identified as two long-term barriers to successful mHealth acceptance. Yet, little attention has been devoted to understand individuals’ acceptance of mHealth services from a trust and anxiety perspective in the current mHealth acceptance research. The virtuality of mHealth services and the sensitivity of health data are two major issues affecting individuals’ acceptance of mHealth services before the initial interaction stage with the service. In such situations, trust in mHealth service, trust in mHealth service provider, and mHealth use anxiety become central parts of the acceptance decisions formed around the use of mHealth services. Motivated by this fact, this study develops a trust-anxiety model to understand individuals’ acceptance behavior of mHealth services. The developed model draws on innovation attributes (trialability, visibility, relative advantage, and ease of use), external and interpersonal social influence, and facilitating conditions from information systems, innovation diffusion, and social psychology research to understand the factors affecting individuals trust and anxiety when accepting mHealth services from social, technological, and behavioral dimensions. The developed model was empirically validated via a sample of 385 potential adopters in Saudi Arabia and 507 in the United Kingdom using online self-administrated surveys. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to assess the developed research model. The findings in Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom showed that potential adopters mHealth acceptance was largely promoted by their level of trust in mHealth service followed by their level of trust in mHealth service provider. The results further indicated that in the United Kingdom, mHealth use anxiety can significantly reduce potential adopters’ acceptance of mHealth services. Moreover, the results in Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom showed that trialability can increase individuals mHealth use anxiety, while ease of use can significantly reduce it when accepting mHealth services. However, in Saudi Arabia, the results further showed that trust in mHealth service can significantly reduce potential adopters mHealth use anxiety when accepting mHealth services. The results also suggested that trust in mHealth service can be promoted by relative advantage, ease of use, interpersonal social influence, and trust in mHealth service provider in both countries before the initial interaction stage with the service. On the other hand, the results revealed that trust in mHealth service provider was positively affected by external social influence, relative advantage, facilitating conditions, and visibility in Saudi Arabia. However, in the United Kingdom, trust in mHealth service provider has been found to be positively associated with external social influence, facilitating conditions, and relative advantage. From a theoretical perspective, this study contributes to existing mHealth acceptance literature by providing a comprehensive understanding of mHealth acceptance behavior from a trust-anxiety perspective. From a practical perspective, the study offers valuable information for mHealth participants that can help them in promoting their mHealth services acceptance rates.16 0Item Restricted Effectiveness of Smartphone Applications in Improving Self-Management of Type Two Diabetes Mellites in Adults .(University of Glasgow, 2023-10-08) Alruwaili, Basaur; Joy, JaneBackground: Type two diabetes mellitus has become a global health crisis, affecting almost 462 million individuals, with rising costs and complications. Self-management is crucial for controlling T2DM, yet it often places a considerable burden on patients. As a solution, smartphone apps provide practical tools for disease management. Given the evolution of technology and limitations in previous research, including limited findings of primary studies, a comprehensive systematic review is required to assess the effectiveness of these apps in T2DM self-management. Aims: This systematised literature review aims at exploring the effectiveness of smartphone applications, compared to standard car, in improving self-management of type two diabetes mellites in adults. Methods: After formulating a research question, using the PICO framework, the researcher conducted a detailed search strategy through databases like PubMed and Google Scholar. Eligible studies were selected based on predefined criteria, and their quality assessed with Joanna Briggs Institute tools. Relevant data were extracted, and a narrative synthesis of the findings was performed. Results: This review assessed ten randomised controlled trials, conducted in eight different countries, exploring smartphone apps for type 2 diabetes management. Studies revealed that apps can significantly improve glycaemic control, patient self-management, and medication adherence. However, their effectiveness varied based on factors like user engagement, personalised features, and individual characteristics, necessitating further research. Conclusion: Smartphone apps for diabetes have the potential to enhance self-management and medication adherence but should be tailored to individual needs. Implications include guiding health policies for diabetes management, improving digital health literacy, and calling for further research, including randomised controlled trials, to understand better the role of these interventions in diabetes management.21 0